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

And in fact, monetary rewards are often temporary, rather than permanent motivators. —Kate Vitasek, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

Normally, the No. 1 motivator of movement is salary-cap constraint, and a lot of teams have been relieved of that this year. —Scott Powers, New York Times, 6 June 2025

Environmental benefits also remain a key motivator, along with a growing appreciation for the smooth, quiet driving experience and the high-tech features found in many modern EVs. —Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2025

Spoelstra was voted the best head coach in the NBA (69 percent of vote), best manager/motivator of people (37 percent) and the head coach with the best defensive schemes (23 percent) in the last survey of general managers ahead of the 2024-25 season. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above