motives

NOUN

reason, purpose

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aim cause consideration emotion feeling idea impulse influence intent intention motivation passion rationale

STRONG

antecedent basis design determinant drive end grounds incentive incitement inducement inspiration mainspring object occasion root spring spur stimulus thinking

Antonyms

STRONGEST

neglect thoughtlessness

STRONG

discouragement hindrance

WEAK

deterrent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The suspect's identity and motives were not immediately known.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

OpenAI's legal team has questioned Musk's own financial motives.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

His motives are clearly driven by revenge, and not because he truly thinks anyone has broken the law.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

His strategic motives aren’t that different: to deny a hostile power the means to dominate the region, and to protect Israel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

As it turned out, however, they had other motives.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman