Instigation and Motive

Instigation

Instigation noun - Something that arouses action or activity.
Usage example: the promise of windfall profits was all the instigation they needed to invest in the scheme
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Synonyms for Instigation

Motive and instigation are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Motive" instead a noun "Instigation".

Motive

Motive noun - Something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing.
Usage example: the detective felt that the first suspect didn't have any motive for committing the crime

Instigation and motive are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Instigation" instead a noun "Motive".

How words are described

actual actual instigation actual motive
Cite this Source
Motive and Instigation. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/instigation/motive
Instigation & Motive. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/instigation/motive>.
Motive or Instigation. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/instigation/motive.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "instigation" and "motive" have occurred on timeline