as in diligent
having a strong desire for personal advancement
He was lauded by faculty as an exceptionally hardworking, curious, and motivated student. The company was looking for motivated self-starters to fill the sales position.
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as in encouraged
to rouse to action or activity
The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands. They drove a campaign to motivate voters to show up to the polls.
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Examples of motivated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Patton, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
When values of diversity, equity and inclusion are tested by politically motivated, anti-business forces, CEOs and corporate board members must defend them unequivocally.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2024
But he was sacked by Mahathir a year later and jailed on charges of corruption and sodomizing a male aide—accusations long decried by human-rights groups as politically motivated and that were eventually quashed in 2004.
—Charlie Campbell / Kulim, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
The racially motivated attack, carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan, intensified national outrage and was a catalyst for major civil rights advancements.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for motivated 
Adjective
Is such a substantial cut, just before an election, politically motivated?
—Mike Patton, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
When values of diversity, equity and inclusion are tested by politically motivated, anti-business forces, CEOs and corporate board members must defend them unequivocally.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2024
But he was sacked by Mahathir a year later and jailed on charges of corruption and sodomizing a male aide—accusations long decried by human-rights groups as politically motivated and that were eventually quashed in 2004.
—Charlie Campbell / Kulim, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
The racially motivated attack, carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan, intensified national outrage and was a catalyst for major civil rights advancements.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for motivated
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'motivated.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivated. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
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