Motivational

ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃənəl

adjectivemedium🔥Very CommonLiterature
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase2 questions

Definitions

1

Providing someone with a reason for doing something; inspiring enthusiasm or eagerness.

ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃənəl

adjectivepositivemedium
Literature

Providing a reason for action or desire; inspiring

The coach gave a motivational speech before the game.

💡 Simply: Imagine your friend is feeling down about studying. A motivational book is like a pep talk in pages – it gives you that push to get going and believe you can do it! It's like a power-up for your brain!

👶 For kids: Something that makes you want to do something. Like a reward that makes you want to be good.

More Examples

2

Reading inspirational stories can have a motivational effect.

3

She used motivational strategies to improve her sales team's performance.

How It's Used

Business

"Motivational speakers are often hired by companies to boost employee morale."

Psychology

"Motivational factors play a key role in understanding human behavior."

Education

"Motivational techniques are used to encourage students to learn."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

Motivational speaker

A person who delivers speeches designed to inspire and encourage an audience.

"The company hired a motivational speaker to boost employee morale."

From 'motive' + '-ational'. 'Motive' comes from the Latin 'motus' (past participle of 'movere', to move). The suffix '-ational' indicates something related to or characterized by a process.

The word gained popularity in the late 20th century with the rise of motivational psychology and business practices.

Memory tip

Think of a 'motive' that gets you moving; 'motivational' helps others find their 'motive'.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"move, to set in motion"

motivational speakermotivational speechmotivational factorsmotivational techniquesmotivational video

Common misspellings

motivationalymotivaitonal

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written