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

Empowered teams are more motivated, innovative, and resilient in the face of challenges. —Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Fortunately, the American justice system is blind to emotional blackmail and ideologically motivated reasoning. —The Editors, National Review, 17 Dec. 2024

Trump has maintained his innocence and said the case was politically motivated against him. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024

Both Roh’s and Park’s cases were criticized for being politically motivated. —E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing motivated

• self-motivated