Subscriber login
Password
Forgot your password?
Library card login
Login with Shibboleth® »
Login with Athens »
Close menu
Oxford Dictionaries Online
The world's most trusted dictionaries
About
Subscriber services
What's new
Contact us
Help
Subscribe now
Already a subscriber or in a subscribing organization?
Login
Dictionary
Other language resources
US English
World English
Dictionary
Better writing
World of words
Puzzles and games
For children and schools
For learners of English
Email
Cite
motivation
(mo¦tiv|ation)
Pronunciation:
/məʊtɪˈveɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
1
a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way:
escape can be a strong motivation for travel
[
mass noun
]
desire or willingness to do something; enthusiasm:
keep staff up to date and maintain interest and motivation
2
South African
a set of facts and arguments used in support of a proposal:
the following proposal and motivation is submitted for consideration
Derivatives
motivational
Pronunciation:
/-ˈveɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l/
adjective
motivationally
Pronunciation:
/-ˈveɪʃ(ə)n(ə)li/
adverb
Origin:
late 19th century
: from
motive
, reinforced by
motivate
Search results in the dictionary
motivation research
demotivation
in
demotivate
self-motivation
in
self-motivated
More results »
Nearby Words
motif
motile
motion
motion capture
motion picture
motion sickness
Motion, Sir Andrew
motionless
motivate
motivation
motivation research
motive
motive power
motivic
Motlanthe, Kgalema
motley
motmot
moto perpetuo
motocross