Found 2 items, similar to motive.
English → English (WordNet)
Definition: motive
motive
n 1: the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action
toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that
which gives purpose and direction to behavior;
“we did
not understand his motivation”;
“he acted with the best
of motives” [syn:
motivation,
need]
2: a theme that is elaborated on in a piece of music [syn:
motif]
motive
adj 1: causing or able to cause motion;
“a motive force”;
“motive
power”;
“motor energy” [syn:
motive(a),
motor]
2: impelling to action;
“it may well be that ethical language
has primarily a motivative function”- Arthur Pap;
“motive
pleas”;
“motivating arguments” [syn:
motivative(a),
motive(a),
motivating]
English → English (gcide)
Definition: Motive
Motive
\Mo"tive\, n. [F. motif, LL. motivum, from motivus
moving, fr. L. movere, motum, to move. See
Move.]
1. That which moves; a mover. [Obs.] --Shak.
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2. That which incites to action; anything prompting or
exciting to choise, or moving the will; cause; reason;
inducement; object; motivation[2].
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By motive, I mean the whole of that which moves,
excites, or invites the mind to volition, whether
that be one thing singly, or many things
conjunctively. --J. Edwards.
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3. (Mus.) The theme or subject; a leading phrase or passage
which is reproduced and varied through the course of a
comor a movement; a short figure, or melodic germ, out of
which a whole movement is develpoed. See also
Leading motive
, under
Leading. [Written also
motivo.]
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4. (Fine Arts) That which produces conception, invention, or
creation in the mind of the artist in undertaking his
subject; the guiding or controlling idea manifested in a
work of art, or any part of one.
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Syn: Incentive; incitement; inducement; reason; spur;
stimulus; cause.
Usage:
Motive,
Inducement,
Reason. Motive is the word
originally used in speaking of that which determines
the choice. We call it an inducement when it is
attractive in its nature. We call it a reason when it
is more immediately addressed to the intellect in the
form of argument.
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Motive
\Mo"tive\, v. t.
To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
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Motive
\Mo"tive\, a.
Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as,
a motive argument; motive power.
“Motive faculty.” --Bp.
Wilkins.
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Motive power (Mach.), a natural agent, as water, steam,
wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion to
machinery; a motor; a mover.
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