ˈmōd.əˌvāt, -ōtə-, usu -ād.+V transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: motive (I) + -ate
1. : to provide with a motive : impel , incite
the deep unconscious and subconscious factors that motivate people — Vance Packard
the novelist has adequately motivated his hero
2.
a. : to stimulate the active interest of in a study through appeal to associated interests or by special devices
the ingenious teacher can ferret out a thousand methods of motivating the child to learn new words — Education Digest
b. : to make (a study) interesting or otherwise appealing to students
program … is thoroughly motivated — D.H.Patton