Synonyms for motive
ˈmoʊ tɪvmo·tive

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. motiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   motif, motivate, motional, moving, motivation

2. motivenoun

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

   Synonyms:
   moving, motivation, motif, motional, motivate

3. motivenoun

   Relating to motion and/or to its cause

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

   Synonyms:
   motivation, motif, moving, motional

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. motive

   The efficient cause, that which makes anything to be or be done, is the common meaning of the word, as in the saying "There is no effect without a cause." Every man instinctively recognizes himself acting through will as the cause of his own actions. The Creator is the Great First Cause of all things. A condition is something that necessarily precedes a result, but does not produce it. An antecedent simply precedes a result, with or without any agency in producing it; as, Monday is the invariable antecedent of Tuesday, but not the cause of it. The direct antonym of cause is effect, while that of antecedent is consequent. An occasion is some event which brings a cause into action at a particular moment; gravitation and heat are the causes of an avalanche; the steep incline of the mountain-side is a necessary condition, and the shout of the traveler may be the occasion of its fall. Causality is the doctrine or principle of causes, causation the action or working of causes. Compare DESIGN; REASON.

   Synonyms:
   actor, agent, antecedent, author, causality, causation, cause, condition, creator, designer, former, fountain, occasion, origin, originator, power, precedent, reason, reason, source, spring

   Antonyms:
   consequence, creation, development, effect, end, end, event, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, product, result

   Preposition:
   The cause of the disaster; cause for interference.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. motive

   Synonyms:
   inducement, purpose, design, prompting, stimulus, reason, impulse, incitement

   Antonyms:
   execution, action, effort, deed, attempt, project, preventive, deterrent, dissuasive

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. motivation, motive, neednoun

   the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

   "we did not understand his motivation"; "he acted with the best of motives"

   Synonyms:
   indigence, need, motivating, demand, pauperization, want, motivation, pauperism, motif, penury

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

2. motif, motivenoun

   a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

   Synonyms:
   motivation, motif, need, theme

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

3. motif, motiveadjective

   a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration

   Synonyms:
   motivation, motif, need, theme

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

4. motive(a), motoradjective

   causing or able to cause motion

   "a motive force"; "motive power"; "motor energy"

   Antonyms:
   noncausative, noncausal

5. motivative(a), motive(a), motivatingadjective

   impelling to action

   "it may well be that ethical language has primarily a motivative function"- Arthur Pap; "motive pleas"; "motivating arguments"

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

Matched Categories

1. • Theme

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. motivenoun

   Synonyms:
   inducement, incentive, impulse, incitement, stimulus, prompting, influence, reason, ground, principle, consideration, cause, occasion, prime mover, why and wherefore

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. motivenoun

   Synonyms:
   incentive, inducement, incitement

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "motive":

   motivation, mobile, reason, ground, incentive, motif

Suggested Resources

1. motive

   Song lyrics by motive -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by motive on the Lyrics.com website.

How to pronounce motive?

How to say motive in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use motive in a sentence?

1. Andre Hope:

   I still have not figured out a motive for why he did, why this had to even happen, he was a star.

2. Tony Rackauckas:

   I never made a single decision or statement about the case for any political motive.

3. Cheryl Furler:

   About three dozen police vehicles, including an armored truck, and four ambulances responded to the shooting. The Whitehall and Allentown police departments, and Pennsylvania State Police troopers, were on the scene, The Morning Call reported. No arrests havebeen made as of Sunday, and no motive behind the shooting was released. Investigatorswerereviewing surveillance footage in hopes of identifying a suspect. Authorities called for anyone in the mall at the time of the shooting who may have cell phone video of the incident to contact police. NEARLY 100 PROTESTERS ARRESTED AT ABOLISH ICE PROTESTS IN NYC Lehigh Valley Hospital and St. Lukes University Hospital were put on alert in case anyone injured left the mall undetected before law enforcement arrived, The Morning Call reported. Allentown Police Capt.Mike Becker told The Associated Press that Allentown Police Capt.Mike Becker department was assisting Whitehall Township Police but had no other information to share. Cheryl Furler, an employee at Bath Body Works, told WFMZ that Cheryl Furler and about 50 other people barricaded themselves in the stockroom. We took filing cabinets and pushed them up against the doors.

4. President Tayyip Erdogan:

   Using sacred Islam's name, exploiting it, this terrorist group which spills Muslim blood has gone as far as attacking the town where the mosque and blessed remains of our Prophet are located, daesh is a dagger plunged into the chest of Muslims. Whoever gives support to this group, whether out of sectarian fanaticism or another motive, commits the same sin.

5. Corona Police Capt. Paul Mercado:

   It's an unfortunate turn of events here, the public here are really looking for a motive. Right now, there is no motive. It's an unprovoked attack.