motivator

noun

mo·​ti·​va·​tor ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-tər 

plural motivators

: one that motivates or impels someone or something

a subconscious motivator of behavior

: such as

a

: a factor or situation that causes people to feel motivated to do something : incentive

Only a fool, though, would deny that money is a very real and basic need and, of course, a motivator of sorts.

—Robert W. Corl

Exercising with someone else … can be a motivator.

—Joanne Lannin

Andre Harris, without basketball as a motivator, had slipped back into bad habits academically.

—John Feinstein

b

: a person who motivates others

But Romo's not an enabler; he's a motivator, says [Jessica] Simpson. "If I'm not feeling good about myself, he'll say, 'Get your butt up and go to the gym then!'"

—Michelle Tan

Examples of motivator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Movement on screens were also highlights as a strong motivator for screen attention in dogs which explains why Kevin could barely contain his excitement. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Based on our data, when asked what would make U.S. customers consistently return to a charging station, 40% of respondents ranked their experience around charging as the #1 influence, with getting the chance to interact with fellow EV drivers noted as a core motivator in open responses. —Andrew Cornelia, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024

The award is a stamp of approval and major motivator for arthouse fans, helping films cross over to a broader audience. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024

Leverage Fear Fear can either be a powerful motivator or a powerful paralyzer. —Melanie Borden, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above