# motivate

Pronunciation: say "MOH-ti-vayt" US /ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/, UK /ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪt/

## Verb

1. To give someone a reason or incentive to act, encouraging them toward a goal.
   - Simple: To give someone a reason or a push to do something.
   - _The promise of a bonus motivated the sales team to exceed their targets._
   - _Strong leaders motivate employees by connecting daily tasks to a larger purpose._
2. To drive a person or thing into action; to propel toward movement or activity.
   - Simple: To drive someone to act, or to set something in motion.
   - _Anger motivated the crowd to march on the capital._
   - _Strong emotions can motivate people to act without thinking it through._

## Origin

Formed from "motive" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ate", comparable to French "motiver".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/motivate (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).