MOTIVE

Definition of MOTIVE

  1. (noun)the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
  2. (noun)a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music
  3. (noun)a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration
  4. (adj)causing or able to cause motion
  5. (adj)impelling to action