"motivate" meaning in English

See motivate in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ [UK], /ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ [US], /ˈmoʊ.ɾəˌveɪt/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-motivate.wav [Southern-England] Forms: motivates [present, singular, third-person], motivating [participle, present], motivated [participle, past], motivated [past]
Etymology: motive + -ate Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|motive|ate}} motive + -ate Head templates: {{en-verb}} motivate (third-person singular simple present motivates, present participle motivating, simple past and past participle motivated)
  1. (transitive) To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage. Tags: transitive Translations (to encourage): حَثَّ (ḥaṯṯa) (Arabic), мотивирам (motiviram) (Bulgarian), подбуждам (podbuždam) (Bulgarian), motivar (Catalan), 激发 (jīfā) (Chinese), motivovat (Czech), motiveren (Dutch), motivi (Esperanto), motivoida (Finnish), motiver (French), შეგულიანება (šegulianeba) (Georgian), motivieren (German), דרבן (dirbén) (Hebrew), motivál (Hungarian), motivare (Italian), 動機を与える (dōki o ataeru) (alt: どうきをあたえる) (Japanese), លើកទឹកចិត្ត (ləək tɨk cət) (Khmer), ...에 동기를 주다 (...e donggireul juda) (Korean), corrōborō (Latin), whakaohooho (Maori), whakahihiko (Maori), motiver (Norman), motivere (Norwegian Bokmål), برانگیختن (barângixtan) (Persian), motywować [imperfective] (Polish), zmotywować [perfective] (Polish), motivar (Portuguese), motiva (Romanian), мотиви́ровать (motivírovatʹ) (Russian), motivírati (Serbo-Croatian), motivar (Spanish), motivera (Swedish), ప్రేరేపించు (prērēpiñcu) (Telugu), мотивува́ти (motyvuváty) [imperfective, perfective] (Ukrainian), khích lệ (Vietnamese), động viên (Vietnamese), khuyến khích (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-motivate-en-verb-~hZKGtpd Disambiguation of 'to encourage': 88 12
  2. (transitive) To animate; to propel; to cause to take action Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-motivate-en-verb-yAtHraUY Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ate Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 94 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ate: 18 82
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: mismotivate, motivated, motivator, motive

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for motivate meaning in English (7.3kB)

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "demotivate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "motive",
        "3": "ate"
      },
      "expansion": "motive + -ate",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "motive + -ate",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "motivates",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motivating",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motivated",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motivated",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "motivate (third-person singular simple present motivates, present participle motivating, simple past and past participle motivated)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mismotivate"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "motivated"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "motivator"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "motive"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The weekly staff meeting was meant to motivate employees.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 17:51 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN), archived from the original on 2022-10-17",
          "text": "Armor-piercing shells were heading up the shell hoists, but this procedure took a few minutes, allowing the battered American flagship to reply in kind, the gunners somewhat motivated to set new records for the rate of fire as the cruiser raked the larger ship from stem to stern in response.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage."
      ],
      "id": "en-motivate-en-verb-~hZKGtpd",
      "links": [
        [
          "incentive",
          "incentive"
        ],
        [
          "encourage",
          "encourage"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ḥaṯṯa",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "حَثَّ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "motiviram",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "мотивирам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "podbuždam",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "подбуждам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "zh",
          "lang": "Chinese",
          "roman": "jīfā",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "激发"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivovat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motiveren"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivoida"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motiver"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "šegulianeba",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "შეგულიანება"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivieren"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "dirbén",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "דרבן"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivál"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "alt": "どうきをあたえる",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "dōki o ataeru",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "動機を与える"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "km",
          "lang": "Khmer",
          "roman": "ləək tɨk cət",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "លើកទឹកចិត្ត"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "...e donggireul juda",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "...에 동기를 주다"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "corrōborō"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "whakaohooho"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "whakahihiko"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "nrf",
          "lang": "Norman",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motiver"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "fa",
          "lang": "Persian",
          "roman": "barângixtan",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "برانگیختن"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "motywować"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zmotywować"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motiva"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "motivírovatʹ",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "мотиви́ровать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivírati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "motivera"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "te",
          "lang": "Telugu",
          "roman": "prērēpiñcu",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "ప్రేరేపించు"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "motyvuváty",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective",
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "мотивува́ти"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "khích lệ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "động viên"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "to encourage",
          "word": "khuyến khích"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 94",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ate",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He was motivated purely by self-interest.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Steam-motivated pumps are used in manufacturing.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To animate; to propel; to cause to take action"
      ],
      "id": "en-motivate-en-verb-yAtHraUY",
      "links": [
        [
          "animate",
          "animate"
        ],
        [
          "propel",
          "propel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To animate; to propel; to cause to take action"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmoʊ.ɾəˌveɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-motivate.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "motivate"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "demotivate"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms suffixed with -ate",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "motive",
        "3": "ate"
      },
      "expansion": "motive + -ate",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "motive + -ate",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "motivates",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motivating",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motivated",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motivated",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "motivate (third-person singular simple present motivates, present participle motivating, simple past and past participle motivated)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "mismotivate"
    },
    {
      "word": "motivated"
    },
    {
      "word": "motivator"
    },
    {
      "word": "motive"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The weekly staff meeting was meant to motivate employees.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 17:51 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN), archived from the original on 2022-10-17",
          "text": "Armor-piercing shells were heading up the shell hoists, but this procedure took a few minutes, allowing the battered American flagship to reply in kind, the gunners somewhat motivated to set new records for the rate of fire as the cruiser raked the larger ship from stem to stern in response.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "incentive",
          "incentive"
        ],
        [
          "encourage",
          "encourage"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He was motivated purely by self-interest.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Steam-motivated pumps are used in manufacturing.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To animate; to propel; to cause to take action"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "animate",
          "animate"
        ],
        [
          "propel",
          "propel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To animate; to propel; to cause to take action"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmoʊ.ɾəˌveɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-motivate.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-motivate.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ḥaṯṯa",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "حَثَّ"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "motiviram",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "мотивирам"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "podbuždam",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "подбуждам"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivar"
    },
    {
      "code": "zh",
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "roman": "jīfā",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "激发"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivovat"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motiveren"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivoida"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motiver"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "šegulianeba",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "შეგულიანება"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivieren"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "dirbén",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "דרבן"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivál"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivare"
    },
    {
      "alt": "どうきをあたえる",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "dōki o ataeru",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "動機を与える"
    },
    {
      "code": "km",
      "lang": "Khmer",
      "roman": "ləək tɨk cət",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "លើកទឹកចិត្ត"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "...e donggireul juda",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "...에 동기를 주다"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "corrōborō"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "whakaohooho"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "whakahihiko"
    },
    {
      "code": "nrf",
      "lang": "Norman",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motiver"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivere"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "roman": "barângixtan",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "برانگیختن"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "motywować"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zmotywować"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motiva"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "motivírovatʹ",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "мотиви́ровать"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivírati"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivar"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "motivera"
    },
    {
      "code": "te",
      "lang": "Telugu",
      "roman": "prērēpiñcu",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "ప్రేరేపించు"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "motyvuváty",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective",
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "мотивува́ти"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "khích lệ"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "động viên"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "to encourage",
      "word": "khuyến khích"
    }
  ],
  "word": "motivate"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.