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A Motive

  1. (obsolete) An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting. [14th-17th c.]
  2. An incentive to act in a particular way; a reason or emotion that makes one want to do something; anything that prompts a choice of action. [from 15th c.] Synonym: **motivation
  3. (obsolete, rare) A limb or other bodily organ that can move. [15th-17th c.](Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  4. (law) Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour. [from 18th c.]
  5. (architecture, fine arts) A motif. [from 19th c.]
  6. (music) A motif; a theme or subject, especially one that is central to the work or often repeated. [from 19th c.]
Synonyms