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

An executive coach argued that anger is one of the greatest motivators of success. — Larry Bomback, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Israel For the first time, the Chicago Council survey found evidence of significant tensions within the Democratic Party over Israel, with large numbers of young voters saying Israel’s war in Gaza is a top motivator for getting to the midterm polls. — Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026

They’re then forced to compete in a beauty pageant, wearing lingerie and swimsuits, which Galán considers to be the ultimate motivator. — Jolene Edgar, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026

Honestly, love is a huge motivator for a lot of stories, and people love seeing that. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above