as in diligent
having a strong desire for personal advancement
He was lauded by faculty as an exceptionally hardworking, curious, and motivated student. The company was looking for motivated self-starters to fill the sales position.
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as in encouraged
to rouse to action or activity
The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands. They drove a campaign to motivate voters to show up to the polls.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motivated
Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2026
The Horace Mann report describes the daily impact on a superintendent as requiring the management of criticism, misinformation, and politically motivated attacks while trying to maintain credibility and trust.
—Peter Smagorinsky, AJC.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
His attorney has argued his actions weren't politically motivated.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Adjective
Beyond that, the best eating pattern to lose weight is the one that works for you and keeps you motivated and on track with your goals.
—Verb
The suspect charged with vandalizing the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance was not politically motivated, according to his defense attorney.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivated
Adjective
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But such diligent injury prevention doesn’t address the root cause of Rec League Dysmorphia.—
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Iran thus has every right to demand that the IAEA be diligent in observing its own procedures and codes of conduct on impartiality, objectivity, confidentiality, and sensitivity to national security concerns in exchange for continued cooperation.—
Verb
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But Flint encouraged people to attend the commissioners’ court meeting and speak against the Comanche Circle proposal.—
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All retailers are being encouraged to honor customer claims.—
Adjective
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Practical courage lifts your finances as energetic Mars squares vulnerable Chiron in your 2nd House of Accounting, guiding you to spend wisely while respecting personal values.—
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The class of 2026 under France coach Didier Deschamps is a mix of energetic youth and experienced heads with Dembélé poised to be one of the leading figures alongside fellow striker Kylian Mbappé.—
Verb
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With temperatures climbing above freezing and sunny skies melting half the structure, they were forced to start over entirely.—
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Twenty-two people — two civilians and 20 firefighters — were injured and thousands were forced to evacuate.—
Adjective
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She was pronounced dead at the scene, and her cause of death was later determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, the Athens-Clarke County Coroner’s Office and Morgue confirmed to PEOPLE.—
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Two years later, Poppy is determined to get them back on track.—
Verb
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But the demonstrations are diffuse and largely leaderless, and Pezeshkian’s efforts at mediation — and the killings and arrests by security forces — have not persuaded the protesters to stay off the streets.—
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The paintings worked because viewers did not need to be persuaded that these scenes mattered.—
Adjective
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Épure Extra Large Leather Short Handle Tote The dynamic, eye-catching shape of the Épure Extra Large Leather Short Handle Tote is unlike any other travel bag in your closet, now 25 percent off for a limited time.—
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After winning Oscars for their co-written screenplay Good Will Hunting in 1997, the dynamic duo continued dominating Hollywood and became the industry's favorite friends.—
Verb
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The lure of a coveted Riverside jacket, bag and sneakers enticed Powell to try out for the team.—
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The lure of a coveted Riverside jacket, bag, and sneakers enticed Powell to try out for the team.—
Cite this Entry
“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivated. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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