motivated

1 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of motivated
: provided with a motive : having an incentive or a strong desire to do well or succeed in some pursuit
a motivated employee
Courses are being offered on college campuses for those who are highly motivated but who without such help often drop out and are lost to society and themselves.—Carol Kort
In a sporting context, for example, athletes who consistently seem to play hard and rarely concede defeat are often described as highly motivated or "competitive" by the media.—Robert C. Eklund

motivated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of motivate

Examples of motivated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation spy agency, Mike Burgess, on Tuesday reiterated an earlier warning that politically motivated violence was a top security concern, along with espionage and foreign interference. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization spy agency, Mike Burgess, on Tuesday reiterated an earlier warning that politically motivated violence was a top security concern, along with espionage and foreign interference. — Rod McGuirk, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 What motivated Musk to make the SpaceX share-giveaway pledge? — Todd Spangler, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026 Susan Whitman-Helfgot, the co-finance chair of Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida, was motivated to get involved anyway. — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for motivated

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of motivated was in 1903

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Cite this Entry

“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivated. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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