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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | agent, originator |
| Synonyms: | account, agency, aim, antecedent, author, basis, beginning, causation, consideration, creator, determinant, doer, element, end, explanation, foundation, genesis, ground, grounds, incitement, inducement, instigation, leaven, mainspring, maker, matter, motivation, motive, object, occasion, origin, prime mover, principle, producer, purpose, root, source, spring, stimulation |
| Antonyms: | consequence, development, effect, end, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, product, result |
| Main Entry: | grounds |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | basis, premise |
| Synonyms: | account, antecedent, argument, base, bedrock, call, cause, chapter and verse, demonstration, determinant, dope*, evidence, excuse, factor, footing, foundation, goods*, groundwork, inducement, info, information*, infrastructure, justification, motive, numbers, occasion, pretext, proof, rationale, reason, root*, seat, straight stuff, substratum, test, testimony, trial, underpinning, wherefore, why, whyfor |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | incentive |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | lure, inducement |
| Synonyms: | allurement, bait, carrot, catalyst, come-on, consideration, determinant, drive, encouragement, enticement, excuse, exhortation, goad, ground, impetus, impulse, incitement, influence, insistence, inspiration, instigation, motivation, motive, persuasion, provocation, purpose, rationale, reason, reason why, spring, spur, stimulant, stimulation, stimulus, temptation, urge, whip |
| Notes: | the temporal orientation of incentive is toward the future; that of inducement is toward the past |
| Antonyms: | block, hindrance, turn-off |
| Main Entry: | motive |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, purpose |
| Synonyms: | aim, antecedent, basis, cause, consideration, design, determinant, drive, emotion, end, feeling, grounds, idea, impulse, incentive, incitement, inducement, influence, inspiration, intent, intention, mainspring, motivation, object, occasion, passion, rationale, root, spring, spur, stimulus, thinking |
| Antonyms: | deterrent, discouragement, hindrance |
| Main Entry: | occasion |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, cause |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, basis, call, circumstance, determinant, excuse, foundation, ground, grounds, incident, inducement, influence, justification, motivation, motive, necessity, obligation, prompting, provocation, purpose, right, warrant |
| Main Entry: | origin |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | cause, basis |
| Synonyms: | agent, ancestor, ancestry, antecedent, author, base, causality, causation, connection, creator, derivation, determinant, egg, element, embryo, fountain, generator, germ, horse's mouth, impulse, inception, inducement, influence, inspiration, mainspring, motive, nucleus, occasion, parent, parentage, principle, producer, progenitor, provenance, provenience, root, roots, seed, source, spring, stock, well, wellspring |
| Antonyms: | consequence, destiny, effect, goal, outcome, outgrowth, result |
| Main Entry: | reason |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | intention, aim |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, argument, basis, cause, consideration, design, determinant, end, goal, grounds, idea, impetus, incentive, inducement, motivation, motive, object, occasion, proof, purpose, rationale, root, spring, target, ulterior motive, warrant, wherefore, why, why and wherefore, whyfor |
| Main Entry: | source |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | beginning; point of supply |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, author, authority, authorship, begetter, birthplace, cause, commencement, connection, dawn, dawning, derivation, determinant, expert, father, fount, fountain, fountainhead, horse's mouth, inception, informant, maternity, mother, onset, opening, origin, origination, originator, parent, paternity, provenance, provenience, rise, rising, root, specialist, spring, start, starting point, wellspring |
| Antonyms: | effect, end, result |
| Main Entry: | determinative |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | conclusive |
| Synonyms: | certain, crucial, decided, decisive, definitive, determinant, determined, determining, final, settled |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
