motive
/ˈmoʊtɪv/
noun
Origin
Latin
motivus — moving, causing motion
Overview
Meaning Now
- A reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious.
- A distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.
Literal older meaning
that which moves
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
motif
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term evolved from the physical concept of 'moving' or 'inducing motion' in Late Latin into the abstract psychological sense of 'what moves a person to act' by the late Middle Ages.
Evolution
- Latin (Classical)
motivus
“moving, causing motion”
Derived from the past participle of movere.
- Old French
motif
“reason, cause, movement”
Adapted from the Latin adjective used as a noun.
- Middle English
motive
“a source of action”
Introduced via Old French; spelling influenced by Latin root.
Connections
Word parts
mot-
root
to move
-ive
suffix
tending to
Related across languages
French
motif
motive, motif
Spanish
motivo
motive, reason
Explore next
Related to motive
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.