motivate meaning

The word ‘motivate’ means to make someone want to do something.

motivate :

to encourage, to inspire

Verb

▪ The teacher motivated the students to study.

▪ The teacher encouraged the students to study.

▪ She was motivated by the prize to work hard.

▪ She was inspired by the prize to work hard.

paraphrasing

▪ encourage – to give support

▪ inspire – to fill with the urge to do something

▪ stimulate – to make active

▪ prompt – to cause someone to do something

motivate

Pronunciation

motivate [ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt]

The stress is on 'mo' and sounds like 'moh-ti-veyt'.

Common phrases and grammar about motivate

motivate - Common meaning

Verb
to encourage, to inspire

Part of Speech Changes for "motivate"

▪ motivation (noun) – the reason to do something

▪ motivated (adjective) – having a reason to do something

▪ motivational (adjective) – intended to inspire

Common Expressions with "motivate"

▪ motivate someone to do something – to inspire someone to act

▪ highly motivated – very eager to act

▪ motivate by example – to inspire through actions

▪ self-motivate – to inspire oneself

Important examples of motivate in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, motivate often refers to encouraging employees or students.

▪The manager motivated the team with a bonus.
▪The manager encouraged the team with a bonus.

Example of a confusing word: mediate (to intervene)

▪The manager mediated the team with a bonus.
▪The manager intervened in the team with a bonus.
"Motivate" is a transitive verb meaning "to provide someone with a reason or incentive to do something," and it is used correctly in the sentence "The manager motivated the team with a bonus." In contrast, "mediate" means "to intervene in a dispute to resolve it," and does not fit the context of encouraging or providing incentives. Using "mediate" in this sentence is grammatically incorrect and changes the meaning entirely. Therefore, "motivate" is the correct choice.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Motivate is a transitive verb, often requiring an object like a person or group in TOEIC grammar questions.

▪The coach motivated the players to win.
▪The coach inspired the players to win.

motivate

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

motivate the workforce

'encourage employees', used in business contexts.

▪Companies try to motivate the workforce with incentives.
▪Companies try to encourage employees with incentives.

motivate to succeed

means 'inspire to achieve goals'.

▪She is motivated to succeed in her career.
▪She is inspired to achieve her career goals.

Differences between similar words and motivate

motivate

,

encourage

differences

Motivate often implies a stronger or more personal drive, while encourage is more about support and reassurance.

motivate
▪The teacher motivated the students to learn.
▪The teacher inspired the students to learn.
encourage
▪The teacher encouraged the students during exams.
▪The teacher supported the students during exams.
motivate

Words with the same origin as motivate

The origin of motivate

Motivate comes from the Latin 'motivus', meaning 'moving'. It evolved to mean inspiring action.

Word structure

The parts are: 'mot' (move) and 'ate' (verb). Motivate means 'to move'.

Words with the same origin

The root of motivate is mot (move). Words with the same root include motion (movement), motor (machine that moves), promote (to move forward).

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