English Reference

Word

motivator

Phoneticsmo·ti·va·tor

US/ˈmoʊtəveɪtɝ/

UK/mˈəʊtɪvˌeɪtɐ/

Definition

n. something that gives you a reason to work hard or do something. It can be a person, a goal, or even a small reward.

n. a person, thing, or situation that provides a reason for someone to act or behave in a particular way. Often used to describe internal drives or external incentives.

Examples

“A good salary is a strong motivator for many people.”

“The manager introduced a new bonus system to serve as a motivator for the sales team during the busy holiday season.”

“While some find intrinsic satisfaction in their work to be the ultimate motivator, others require external validation or tangible rewards to maintain their productivity over the long term.”

Examples

simple

“A good salary is a strong motivator for many people.”

contextual

“The manager introduced a new bonus system to serve as a motivator for the sales team during the busy holiday season.”

complex

“While some find intrinsic satisfaction in their work to be the ultimate motivator, others require external validation or tangible rewards to maintain their productivity over the long term.”

Real-World Examples

“Market research studies conducted in the past year have found that making money, paying for education, travel, work experience and medical benefits are the top motivators guiding young people toward military service.”
The Conversation · 18 Sept 2026
“Dave Parker /Flickr, CC BY We all need food to stay alive, but when we’re filling up our grocery carts, it’s not like survival is the primary motivator.”
Smithsonian Magazine · 22 Jul 2016

Etymology

From motivate + -or.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/motivator

English Reference