motivenoun/ˈməʊtɪv/

• 1

  obsoleteAn idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting.

  • there's something in a woman beyond all human delight; a magnetic virtue, a charming quality, an occult and powerful motive.
• 2

  An incentive to act in a particular way; a reason or emotion that makes one want to do something; anything that prompts a choice of action.

  • Many of them at first seemed kind to him, but it turned out their motives were not entirely altruistic.
  • “Your job here is to find the good things in your colleagues—the things their state saw—and not focus on the bad.” I said I understand. “And, Joe, never attack another man’s motive, because you don’t know his motive.”
• 3

  lawSomething which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour.

  • What would his motive be for burning down the cottage?
  • No-one could understand why she had hidden the shovel; her motives were obscure at best.
• 4

  obsoleterareA limb or other bodily organ that can move.

  • every joint and motive of her body
• 5

  A party, gathering, or get-together.

• 6

  One's plans for the day or night.

  • What's the motive for tonight, lads?

motiveverb/ˈməʊtɪv/

• 1

  To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.

motiveadj/ˈməʊtɪv/

• 1

  Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move

  • a motive argument
  • motive power
• 2

  Relating to motion and/or to its cause

  • Debussy's melody is fractional, fragmentary. But at the core all his music is melodic and melody is its main motive force.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

• motif