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
Carol KortIn 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
Robert C. EklundExamples of motivated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Separated by time and space, the two statements are alike in their linking of drug trafficking with terrorism, a strategy that seeks to conflate public security measures with the fight against politically motivated violence.
—Evandro Cruz Silva, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Both Beijing and Hong Kong’s government have repeatedly rejected international criticism of Lai’s prosecution and dismissed accusations that his jailing was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
General amnesty law The government has denied that there are political prisoners in Venezuela, rejecting the accusations of torture and ill treatment and saying reports on human rights abuses behind bars are false and politically motivated.
—Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Democrats worry the intelligence chief’s role blurs lines between national security and law enforcement, potentially laying groundwork for politically motivated claims.
—David Klepper, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
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Evandro Cruz Silva, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Both Beijing and Hong Kong’s government have repeatedly rejected international criticism of Lai’s prosecution and dismissed accusations that his jailing was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
General amnesty law The government has denied that there are political prisoners in Venezuela, rejecting the accusations of torture and ill treatment and saying reports on human rights abuses behind bars are false and politically motivated.
—Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Democrats worry the intelligence chief’s role blurs lines between national security and law enforcement, potentially laying groundwork for politically motivated claims.
—David Klepper, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Cite this Entry
“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivated. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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