motivated

adjective

mo·​ti·​vat·​ed ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-təd 

: 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

Since founding Career + Leadership Coaching in 2018, Erin has empowered more than 300 motivated professionals to break through stagnation and unlock their full potential. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025

And then what did Merrick Garland's Department of Justice do in unjustly prosecuting well over 1,000 Americans in a way that was politically motivated? —CBS News, 26 Jan. 2025

Trump's wall will not keep this strong-willed, motivated and talented population out of this country. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025

The suit also detailed other racially motivated incidents including an October 2020 video class meeting overtaken by white students who used racial slurs to describe their Black classmates. —Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing motivated

• self-motivated