motivation

B1 Topic:Psychology & Behavior

US /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/ UK /ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪ.ʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #9327

Meanings

1

noun
The desire and willingness to do something.

After failing twice, she lost all her motivation to try again.
2

noun
A reason or incentive for doing something.

Money was his only motivation for taking the job.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a reason or incentive for... incentive

Word family

Forms motivations

Derived forms antimotivationcountermotivationdemotivationmotivationalmotivationlessnonmotivationremotivationsubmotivationtransmotivationundermotivationunmotivation

Etymology

From motive (verb) + -ation, probably after French motivation and German Motivation.

motivation French Motivation German

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Psychology & Behavior Abstract Ideas

External links

# motivation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪ.ʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 9327

## Meanings
1. The desire and willingness to do something.
2. A reason or incentive for doing something.

## Examples
- After failing twice, she lost all her motivation to try again.
- Money was his only motivation for taking the job.

## Derived Forms
- antimotivation
- countermotivation
- demotivation
- motivational
- motivationless
- nonmotivation
- remotivation
- submotivation
- transmotivation
- undermotivation
- unmotivation

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: motivation
- Root: Motivation

## Etymology
From motive (verb) + -ation, probably after French motivation and German Motivation.

## AI Etymology
Motivation comes from motive (verb) + -ation, probably after French motivation and German Motivation. In present-day English its meanings include the desire and willingness to do something and a reason or incentive for doing something. The historical chain runs through motivation (French) and Motivation (German). Related and derived forms include antimotivation, countermotivation, and demotivation.

## Topics
- Psychology & Behavior
- Abstract Ideas

markdown