Definitions for motive

motive mo·tive

Spelling: [moh-tiv]
IPA: /ˈmoʊ tɪv/

Motive is a 6 letter English word. It's valid Scrabble word worth 11 points. It's valid Words with friends word worth 13 points.

You can make 91 anagrams from letters in motive (eimotv).

Definitions for motive

noun

  1. something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.; incentive.
  2. the goal or object of a person's actions:
  3. (in art, literature, and music) a motif.

adjective

  1. causing, or tending to cause, motion.
  2. pertaining to motion.
  3. prompting to action.
  4. constituting a motive or motives.

verb (used with object)

  1. to motivate.

Origin of motive

1325-75; (adj.) Middle English (Middle French motif) Medieval Latin mōtīvus serving to move, equivalent to Latin mōt(us) (past participle of movēre to move) + -īvus <

Examples for motive

Communist-era clerks were famously rude and indifferent, because they had no motive to make people happy.

Did Michael Brown have a motive to violently attack the officer?

Filial devotion to her father had been one motive, but not the only one.

After all, Iran, Assad, and Hezbollah have the motive and the firepower to fight ISIS.

It is a fault in art because it is impossible to motive it in a few lines.

In addition to this motive he felt an inclination to probe the matter to its utmost depths.

What other motive they can have, is to us, at least, inconceivable.

The story remains mysterious, and authorities are not revealing a motive yet.

One can only motive and explain this suicide by self-immolating love.

“People in the Jewish community are entitled to question the motive that lay behind the decision,” said Johnson.

Word Value for motive
Scrable

11

Words with friends

13

Similar words for motive
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