motiver

to motivate

verb moh-tee-VEH Rare

Also means

to justify, to give reasons for

Usage Note

motiver covers both senses: motivating a person (motiver ses équipes) and legally/formally justifying a decision (motiver un refus — 'to give grounds for a refusal'). The adjective motivé is widely used in CVs and recommendations. The noun is la motivation.

Examples

"Il cherche à motiver ses étudiants."

Natural Translation

He is trying to motivate his students.

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