motivated

adjective

mo·​ti·​vat·​ed ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-təd 

: 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

Examples of motivated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The attack, which left him in serious but stable condition after a five-hour surgery, was reportedly politically motivated, with authorities charging a suspect who acted alone. —Michael D. Carroll and Shannon McDonagh, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025

Trump, who was indicted twice on federal charges has said his prosecution was politically motivated. —Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025

But the 27-page Weiss report is most notable for the scathing criticism of the president, who in his pardon, suggested the probe was politically motivated. —Kristine Frazao, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2025

As the Supreme Court concluded in its July 1 immunity ruling, a criminal prosecution may not be based on formally legitimate presidential acts even if the prosecutor may be correct that those acts are corruptly motivated. —The Editors, National Review, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing motivated

• self-motivated