Motive \Mo"tive\, n. [F. motif, LL. motivum, from motivus
moving, fr. L. movere, motum, to move. See Move.]
1. That which moves; a mover. [Obs.]
--Shak.
2. That which incites to action; anything prompting or
exciting to choise, or moving the will; cause; reason;
inducement; object.
By motive, I mean the whole of that which moves,
excites, or invites the mind to volition, whether
that be one thing singly, or many things
conjunctively. --J. Edwards.
3. (Mus.) The theme or subject; a leading phrase or passage
which is reproduced and varied through the course of a
comor a movement; a short figure, or melodic germ, out of
which a whole movement is develpoed. See also Leading
motive, under Leading. [Written also motivo.]
4. (Fine Arts) That which produces conception, invention, or
creation in the mind of the artist in undertaking his
subject; the guiding or controlling idea manifested in a
work of art, or any part of one.
Syn: Incentive; incitement; inducement; reason; spur;
stimulus; cause.
Usage: Motive, Inducement, Reason. Motive is the word
originally used in speaking of that which determines
the choice. We call it an inducement when it is
attractive in its nature. We call it a reason when it
is more immediately addressed to the intellect in the
form of argument.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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