• n. 动机，目的；主题
• adj. 发动的；成为动机的
• vt. 使产生动机，激起

来自拉丁语movere,运动，移动，词源同move.-t,过去分词后缀。引申词义动机，原因。

motive (n.)

mid-14c., "something brought forward," from Old French motif "will, drive, motivation," noun use of adjective, literally "moving," from Medieval Latin motivus "moving, impelling," from Latin motus "a moving, motion," past participle of movere "to move" (see move (v.)). Meaning "that which inwardly moves a person to behave a certain way" is from early 15c.

motive (adj.)

late 14c., from Old French motif "moving" or directly from Medieval Latin motivus "moving, impelling," from past participle stem of movere "to move" (see move (v.)).

1. Sheila had an ulterior motive for trying to help Stan.

希拉想帮助斯坦是另有所图的。

来自柯林斯例句

2. The motive of the executions would be to instil fear.

执行死刑的动机是要灌输恐惧。

来自柯林斯例句

3. Police have ruled out robbery as a motive for the killing.

警方已排除因抢劫而杀人的可能。

来自柯林斯例句

4. The motive for the killing is unknown.

杀人动机不明。

来自柯林斯例句

5. There seemed to be no motive for the murder.

这起谋杀案看不出有什么动机。

来自《权威词典》