motivo

2 definitions found

motivo - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Motivo \Mo*ti"vo\, n. [It. See Motive, n.]
     See Motive, n., 3, 4.
     [1913 Webster]

  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.
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     2. That which incites to action; anything prompting or
        exciting to choise, or moving the will; cause; reason;
        inducement; object; motivation[2].
        [1913 Webster]
  
              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.
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     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.]
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     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.
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     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.
            [1913 Webster]