motivated

adjective

mo·​ti·​vat·​ed ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-təd How to pronounce motivated (audio)
: 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
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That sufficiently motivated people might break with reality is by now somewhat predictable in American politics. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025 Both President Trump and Ken Paxton have been targeted in politically motivated witch hunts because there's nothing that scares the establishment more than courageous conservatives who never back down from standing up for the American people. Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025 Speaking to the crowd on Sunday, Le Pen reiterated her stance on the ruling being politically motivated. Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025 But the application of justice here is obviously politically motivated. The Editors, National Review, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for motivated

Word History

First Known Use

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 16 Apr. 2025.

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