Motive example sentences
Related (12): motivation, reason, intention, purpose, drive, incentive, cause, objective, goal, impulse, ulterior, suspect
"Motive" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- motive for
- motive behind
- question someone's motive
- hidden motive
- ulterior motive
- motive and opportunity
- pure motive
- suspect motive
- understand the motive
- motive unclear
- without motive
- motive in question
Examples by Level
A1
- The motive for the crime was money.
- She had no motive to hurt him.
A2
- What was his motive for leaving the company so suddenly?
- The motive behind the decision wasn't clear to anyone at first.
B1
- I couldn't understand her motive until she explained her past.
- There's always a motive — you just have to look hard enough to find it.
B2
- The motive seemed innocent enough, but the execution suggested something darker.
- He questioned my motive, which made me realize I hadn't been entirely honest with myself.
C1
- What distinguishes a motive from mere impulse is the element of premeditation and conscious intent.
- The motive, once obscured by layers of rationalization, finally emerged as simple jealousy.
C2
- There's a particular kind of tragedy in discovering that someone's motive was never what you believed it to be.
- The motive for his silence wasn't cowardice, but a complicated loyalty that he could never quite articulate.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My neighbor's motive for asking so many questions about my new car was probably just curiosity.
- I still don't know the motive behind why she stopped texting me — we just drifted apart.
💼 Workplace
- His motive for volunteering for the project was clearly to impress the boss.
- The team questioned the manager's motive when she suddenly approved everyone's time off.
📊 Business
- The company's motive for the rebrand was to capture a younger demographic.
- Understanding the client's motive for the acquisition helped us structure the deal better.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- I'm suspicious of the store's motive for this massive discount — there must be a catch.
- The motive for the price increase wasn't explained anywhere on the website.
✈️ Travel
- His motive for choosing that hotel was the reviews, not the location.
- The motive for the sudden itinerary change was that he wanted to avoid crowds.
📚 Education
- The teacher questioned the student's motive for the late assignment submission.
- Understanding each child's motive for acting out helps the counselor help them better.
❤️ Relationships
- I finally asked him about his motive for proposing so suddenly, and his answer made me cry.
- Her motive for staying with him was complicated — love mixed with obligation and fear.
📰 News / Politics
- Critics questioned the politician's motive for the sudden policy reversal.
- The motive behind the media campaign was to shift public opinion before the election.
💻 Technology
- The motive for the app's new privacy policy was probably just legal liability.
- Tech companies' motive for collecting data is always profit, no matter what they claim.
📝 Formal Writing
- The study examined the motive for consumer behavior across different demographic groups.
- The motive for the regulatory change was outlined in the official government statement.