4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Motive  \Mo"tive\,  a. 
  Causing  motion;  having  power  to  move  or  tending  to  move  as 
  a  motive  argument;  motive  power.  ``Motive  faculty.''  --Bp. 
  Wilkins. 
 
  {Motive  power}  (Mach.),  a  natural  agent,  as  water,  steam, 
  wind,  electricity,  etc.,  used  to  impart  motion  to 
  machinery;  a  motor;  a  mover. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Motive  \Mo"tive\,  n.  [F.  motif,  LL  motivum  from  motivus 
  moving  fr  L.  movere,  motum,  to  move  See  {Move}.] 
  1.  That  which  moves  a  mover.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  2.  That  which  incites  to  action  anything  prompting  or 
  exciting  to  choise,  or  moving  the  will  cause  reason; 
  inducement;  object. 
 
  By  motive,  I  mean  the  whole  of  that  which  moves 
  excites,  or  invites  the  mind  to  volition,  whether 
  that  be  one  thing  singly,  or  many  things 
  conjunctively.  --J.  Edwards. 
 
  3.  (Mus.)  The  theme  or  subject;  a  leading  phrase  or  passage 
  which  is  reproduced  and  varied  through  the  course  of  a 
  comor  a  movement;  a  short  figure,  or  melodic  germ,  out  of 
  which  a  whole  movement  is  develpoed.  See  also  Leading 
  motive,  under  {Leading}.  [Written  also  {motivo}.] 
 
  4.  (Fine  Arts)  That  which  produces  conception,  invention,  or 
  creation  in  the  mind  of  the  artist  in  undertaking  his 
  subject;  the  guiding  or  controlling  idea  manifested  in  a 
  work  of  art,  or  any  part  of  one 
 
  Syn:  Incentive;  incitement;  inducement;  reason;  spur; 
  stimulus;  cause 
 
  Usage:  {Motive},  {Inducement},  {Reason}.  Motive  is  the  word 
  originally  used  in  speaking  of  that  which  determines 
  the  choice.  We  call  it  an  inducement  when  it  is 
  attractive  in  its  nature.  We  call  it  a  reason  when  it 
  is  more  immediately  addressed  to  the  intellect  in  the 
  form  of  argument. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Motive  \Mo"tive\,  v.  t. 
  To  prompt  or  incite  by  a  motive  or  motives;  to  move 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  motive 
  adj  1:  causing  or  able  to  cause  motion;  "a  motive  force";  "motive 
  power";  "motor  energy"  [syn:  {motive(a)},  {motor}] 
  2:  impelling  to  action  "it  may  well  be  that  ethical  language 
  has  primarily  a  motivative  function"-  Arthur  Pap;  "motive 
  pleas";  "motivating  arguments"  [syn:  {motivative(a)},  {motive(a)}, 
  {motivating}] 
  n  1:  the  psychological  feature  that  arouses  an  organism  to 
  action  the  reason  for  the  action  "we  did  not 
  understand  his  motivation";  "he  acted  with  the  best  of 
  motives"  [syn:  {motivation},  {need}] 
  2:  a  theme  that  is  elaborated  on  in  a  piece  of  music  [syn:  {motif}] 

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