Motive

Wikipedia

See also Motive

English

Etymology

Latin motivus

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)	noicon
  (file)

Noun

Singular Motive

Plural {{{1}}}

Motive ({{{1}}})

1. An incentive to act; a reason for doing something; anything that prompted a choice of action.

   What would his motive be for burning down the cottage?

   No-one could understand why she had hidden the shovel; her motives were obscure at best.

2. Alternative spelling of motif; a theme or subject, especially one that is central to the work or often repeated.

   If you listen carefully, you can hear the flutes mimicking the cello motive.

Synonyms

• (incentive) motivation

Translations

that which incites to action

Arabic: حافز (ħāfez) m. Chinese: 动机 (dòngjí) Czech: motiv cs(cs) m., pohnutka cs(cs) f. Danish: bevæggrund da(da) c., motiv da(da) n. Dutch: motief nl(nl) n., beweegreden nl(nl) f., motivatie nl(nl) Finnish: vaikutin fi(fi), motiivi fi(fi) French: motif fr(fr) m. German: Motiv de(de) n. Hungarian: indíték hu(hu)

Italian: motivo it(it) m. Japanese: 動機 (どうき, dōki) Korean: 동기 (donggi) Portuguese: motivo pt(pt) m. Romanian: motiv ro(ro), raţiune ro(ro) Russian: мотив ru(ru) (motív) m., повод ru(ru) (póvod) m. Spanish: motivo es(es) m. Swedish: motiv sv(sv) c.

theme or subject

Danish: motiv da(da) n. Dutch: motief nl(nl) n., onderwerp nl(nl) f.

Finnish: aihe fi(fi)

guiding or controlling idea manifested in a work of art

Danish: motiv da(da) n. Dutch: motief nl(nl) n.

Finnish: aihe fi(fi), motiivi fi(fi) Russian: мотив ru(ru) (motív) m.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Chinese: 动机 (dòngjí) Croatian: motiv hr(hr) m. Estonian: motiiv French: motif m. German: Motiv n. Italian: motivo m.

Japanese: 理由 (りゆう, riyū) Norwegian: motiv n. Romanian: motiv n. Slovak: motív m. Slovene: nagib m. Spanish: motivo m. Swedish: motiv n. Turkish: neden, sebep, dürtü

Verb

Infinitive to Motive

Third person singular motives

Simple past motived

Past participle -

Present participle motiving

to Motive (third-person singular simple present motives, present participle motiving, simple past and past participle motived)

1. (transitive) To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.

Synonyms

• motivate

Translations

to prompt or incite

Dutch: motiveren, aanzetten tot Finnish: motivoida fi(fi)

French: motiver fr(fr)

Adjective

Motive (not comparable)

Positive Motive

Comparative not comparable

Superlative none (absolute)

1. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as, a motive argument; motive power.
   • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus, Folio Society 2007, p. 195:

     In the motive parts of animals may be discovered mutuall proportions; not only in those of Quadrupeds, but in the thigh-bone, legge, foot-bone, and claws of Birds.

2. Relating to motion and/or to its cause

Synonyms

• moving
• (relating to motion) motional

Translations

causing motion

Dutch: bewegend nl(nl) Finnish: liike fi(fi)-, liikkeellepaneva fi(fi), liikunta fi(fi)-

French: mouvant fr(fr)

Relating to motion and/or to its cause

Dutch: bewegings-, motioneel

Finnish: liike fi(fi)-, liikkeellepaneva fi(fi), liikunta fi(fi)-

Anagrams

• eimotv,
• move it

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Croatian

Noun

Motive m. (plural)[[Category:Template:Hr noun forms|Motive]]

1. Template:Accusative of

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French

Verb

Motive

1. imperative form of motiver
2. singular present imperfect form of motiver

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA: [moˈtive]

Noun

motive n. pl.

1. Plural form of motiv.

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Spanish

Verb

Motive (infinitive motivar)

1. formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of motivar.
2. first-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of motivar.
3. formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of motivar.
4. third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of motivar.

et:motive fr:motive ko:motive io:motive id:motive it:motive kn:motive hu:motive ml:motive no:motive pl:motive pt:motive ru:motive simple:motive fi:motive ta:motive te:motive tr:motive vi:motive zh:motive