motive
n. countablen. the reason why someone does something, especially a secret reason. It helps explain why a person made a specific choice or committed a crime.
n. a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not immediately obvious. Often used in legal or psychological contexts to establish the intent behind an action.
The police are still looking for a motive.
The detective struggled to find a clear motive for the theft since the suspect was already wealthy.
While the defendant admitted to the physical act, the prosecution failed to establish a convincing motive, leading the jury to consider the possibility of an accident.
From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.
Commonly paired with the preposition 'for' ('a motive for the crime').
the motive of the murderthe motive for the murderMotive is typically followed by the preposition 'for' when identifying the action it explains.