Meanings
plural ulterior motives
- An alternative or extrinsic reason for doing something, especially when concealed or when differing from the stated or apparent reason.
The poet is a man without a profit or any other kind of ulterior motive.
1941 December 8, “Poetry”, in Time2 more examples
There lurks no bribe in the smell and beauty of the flower. Its charm has no ulterior motive.
1895, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 9, in The Stark Munro LettersI have an ulterior motive, of course. I want a progress report on the catalog. You've been so mysterious about the whole thing, people are starting to talk.
2006, Philip Sington, Zoia's Gold, Scribner, →ISBN, page 197
Translations
Catalan segona intenció
- segona intencióalternative or hidden reason for doing something
Chinese Mandarin 不可告人的動機 /不可告人的动机, 別有用心 /别有用心
- 不可告人的動機 /不可告人的动机 (bùkěgàorén de dòngjī)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
- 別有用心 /别有用心 (biéyǒuyòngxīn)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
- 他心 (tāxīn)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
Danish bagtanke
- bagtankealternative or hidden reason for doing something
Dutch verborgen beweegredenen
- verborgen beweegredenenalternative or hidden reason for doing something
Finnish taka-ajatus
- taka-ajatusalternative or hidden reason for doing something
French motif secret, arrière-pensée
- motif secretalternative or hidden reason for doing something
- arrière-penséealternative or hidden reason for doing something
- idée derrière la têtealternative or hidden reason for doing something
German Hintergedanke
- Hintergedankealternative or hidden reason for doing something
Greek υστεροβουλία
- υστεροβουλία (ysterovoulía)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
Hungarian hátsó szándék
- hátsó szándékalternative or hidden reason for doing something
Irish aidhm fholaigh
- aidhm fholaighalternative or hidden reason for doing something
Japanese 下心, 他心
- 下心 (shitagokoro)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
- 他心 (tashin)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
- 他意 (tai)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
Korean 배후목적
- 배후목적 (baehumokjeok)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
Norwegian baktanke
- baktankealternative or hidden reason for doing something
Portuguese segunda intenção
- segunda intençãoalternative or hidden reason for doing something
Russian за́дняя мысль, скры́тый моти́в
- за́дняя мысль (zádnjaja myslʹ)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
- скры́тый моти́в (skrýtyj motív)alternative or hidden reason for doing something
Spanish segunda intención, motivo oculto
- segunda intenciónalternative or hidden reason for doing something
- motivo ocultoalternative or hidden reason for doing something
- motivación ocultaalternative or hidden reason for doing something
Swedish baktanke
- baktankealternative or hidden reason for doing something
Turkish art niyet, art düşünce
- art niyetalternative or hidden reason for doing something
- art düşüncealternative or hidden reason for doing something
Cite this entry
ulterior motive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ulterior%20motive
“ulterior motive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ulterior%20motive. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ulterior motive,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ulterior%20motive.
Source: ulterior motive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.