Etymology tree
Anglo-Norman motifder.
Middle French motifder.
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti
Proto-Italic *moweō
Latin moveō
Latin mōtus
Proto-Indo-European *-wós
Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder.
Latin -īvus
Late Latin mōtīvumder.
Middle English motif
English motive
From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
In the motive parts of animals may be discovered mutuall proportions; not only in those of Quadrupeds, but in the thigh-bone, legge, foot-bone, and claws of Birds. 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus, Folio Society, published 2007, page 195:
a motive argument
motive power
(not-comparable) 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. 1929, Arthur Lourié, “An Inquiry into Melody”, in Modern Music, volume VII, number 1, page 10:
nl motioneel (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · pl napędowy (causing motion) · fi liikkeellepaneva (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · fi liikunta- (causing motion) · ka მამოძრავებელი (causing motion) · el κινητικός (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · fi liikkeellepaneva (causing motion) · pl ruchowy (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · fr mobile (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · nl bewegings- (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · bg движещ (causing motion) · uk руші́йний (causing motion) · bg двигателен (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · be ру́хаючы (causing motion) · nl bewegend (causing motion) · fi liikunta- (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · fr mouvant (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · fi liike- (causing motion) · fr moteur (causing motion) · fi liike- (Relating to motion and/or to its cause) · cs hybný (causing motion) · ru дви́жущий (causing motion)
Etymology tree
Anglo-Norman motifder.
Middle French motifder.
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti
Proto-Italic *moweō
Latin moveō
Latin mōtus
Proto-Indo-European *-wós
Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder.
Latin -īvus
Late Latin mōtīvumder.
Middle English motif
English motive
From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.
Meanings
(obsolete) An 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. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 2, member 1, subsection ii:
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.
“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.” 2007, Joe Biden, Promises to Keep, New York: Random House, published 2008, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 110:
Many of them at first seemed kind to him, but it turned out their motives were not entirely altruistic. 1947, Malcolm Lowry, Under the Volcano, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock:
Something 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.
A few weeks before Brianna disappeared, she was attacked at a party by a woman named Keallie Lacross. Witnesses claimed the motive appeared to be romantic jealousy. 2026 July 16, Nicholas Muhoro, “Inside the 2004 Brianna Maitland Case: One of Vermont’s Most Haunting Mysteries”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 21 Jul 2026:
“Why should Eldridge commit murder?[…]There was only one possible motive—namely, he wished to avoid detection as James Selby of Anaconda Ltd. […]” 1931, Francis Beeding, “10/6”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps:
(obsolete, rare) A limb or other bodily organ that can move.
every joint and motive of her body c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:
(alt-of, alternative, qualifier:fine arts) Alternative form of motif.
de Beweggrund (a cause to commit a crime) · ga réasún (a cause to commit a crime) · sh мо̀тӣв (a cause to commit a crime) · he מוֹטִיב (music: theme or subject) · la ratio (a cause to commit a crime) · pdt Drief (a cause to commit a crime) · lad sebeb (a cause to commit a crime) · ru по́вод (a cause to commit a crime) · he מניע (a cause to commit a crime) · lad sebep (a cause to commit a crime) · ro rațiune (a cause to commit a crime) · fr motif (arts: motif) · nl beweegreden (a cause to commit a crime) · it motivo (a cause to commit a crime) · fi aihe (arts: motif) · uk моти́в (a cause to commit a crime) · oc motiu (a cause to commit a crime) · es motivo (a cause to commit a crime) · pl motyw (arts: motif) · ru моти́в (a cause to commit a crime) · cmn 動機 /动机 (a cause to commit a crime) · ast motivu (a cause to commit a crime) · be маты́ў (music: theme or subject) · nl motief (music: theme or subject) · tr motif (arts: motif) · pl temat (music: theme or subject) · nl onderwerp (music: theme or subject) · be маты́ў (a cause to commit a crime) · nl motivatie (a cause to commit a crime) · fr thème (music: theme or subject) · sk motív (music: theme or subject) · ja 動機 (a cause to commit a crime) · ru моти́в (music: theme or subject) · fi motiivi (a cause to commit a crime) · ar حَافِز (a cause to commit a crime) · bg моти́в (a cause to commit a crime) · fr motif (a cause to commit a crime) · txb ṣarm (a cause to commit a crime) · fi vaikutin (a cause to commit a crime) · es motivo (music: theme or subject) · bg моти́в (music: theme or subject) · ro motiv (music: theme or subject) · es motivante (a cause to commit a crime) · cs pohnutka (a cause to commit a crime) · io motivo (music: theme or subject) · sq motiv (a cause to commit a crime) · io motivo (a cause to commit a crime) · io motivo (arts: motif) · sq ngajë (a cause to commit a crime) · ro motiv (a cause to commit a crime) · fr motif (music: theme or subject) · pl motyw (music: theme or subject) · cs motiv (a cause to commit a crime) · da motiv (arts: motif) · sk motív (a cause to commit a crime) · it movente (a cause to commit a crime) · sl motiv (a cause to commit a crime) · sv motiv (a cause to commit a crime) · uk моти́в (music: theme or subject) · ca motiu (a cause to commit a crime) · ko 동기 (a cause to commit a crime) · fi motiivi (arts: motif) · da bevæggrund (a cause to commit a crime) · pl motyw (a cause to commit a crime) · fr mobile (a cause to commit a crime) · da motiv (a cause to commit a crime) · hu indíték (a cause to commit a crime) · fa انگیزه (a cause to commit a crime) · nl motief (a cause to commit a crime) · de Motiv (a cause to commit a crime) · sh mòtīv (a cause to commit a crime) · pt motivo (a cause to commit a crime) · mk мотив (a cause to commit a crime) · nl motief (arts: motif) · da motiv (music: theme or subject) · th แรงจูงใจ (a cause to commit a crime) · ca motiu (arts: motif) · fi aihe (music: theme or subject) · ru моти́в (arts: motif) · vi động cơ (a cause to commit a crime)
Etymology tree
Anglo-Norman motifder.
Middle French motifder.
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti
Proto-Italic *moweō
Latin moveō
Latin mōtus
Proto-Indo-European *-wós
Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder.
Latin -īvus
Late Latin mōtīvumder.
Middle English motif
English motive
From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.
Meanings
(transitive) To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.