Mo"tion*less, a. Without motion; being at rest.
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. -- 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.
Mo"tive, a. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move;
as, a motive argument; motive power. "Motive faculty." Bp. Wilkins.
Motive power (Mach.), a natural agent, as water, steam, wind,
electricity, etc., used to impart motion to machinery; a motor; a
mover.
Mo"tive (?), v. t. To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
Mo"tive*less, a. Destitute of a motive; not incited by a motive. --
Mo"tive*less*ness, n. G. Eliot.
Mo*tiv"i*ty (?), n. [See Motive, n.] 1. The power of moving or
producing motion.