motivator

noun

mo·​ti·​va·​tor ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-tər 

plural motivators

: one that motivates or impels someone or something

a subconscious motivator of behavior

: such as

a

: a factor or situation that causes people to feel motivated to do something : incentive

Only a fool, though, would deny that money is a very real and basic need and, of course, a motivator of sorts.

—Robert W. Corl

Exercising with someone else … can be a motivator.

—Joanne Lannin

Andre Harris, without basketball as a motivator, had slipped back into bad habits academically.

—John Feinstein

b

: a person who motivates others

… won a reputation as a leader and a motivator …

—Leonard Silk

But Romo's not an enabler; he's a motivator, says [Jessica] Simpson. "If I'm not feeling good about myself, he'll say, 'Get your butt up and go to the gym then!'"

—Michelle Tan

Examples of motivator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The push and pull of the entertainment industry’s alternating (and/or simultaneous) love and hate for Swift has been a recurring motivator across her storied career, but her conversation with the Times emphasizes how equally damaging that love-bombing has been for her psyche and perception of self. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026

Ultimately, Ambudkar said missing out on the show became a powerful motivator in his sobriety journey. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026

Economic opportunities, job training and college benefits are top motivators. —Steven Beynon, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026

One reason there is so much movement is that money is the biggest motivator. —Cj Moore, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above