different between motive vs wish

English

Etymology

From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus (“serving to move”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??t?v/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?mo?t?v/

Noun

motive (plural motives)

1. (obsolete) An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting. [14th-17th c.]
2. An incentive to act in a particular way; a reason or emotion that makes one want to do something; anything that prompts a choice of action. [from 15th c.]
   • 1947, Malcolm Lowry, Under the Volcano:

     Many of them at first seemed kind to him, but it turned out their motives were not entirely altruistic.

   Synonym: motivation

3. (obsolete, rare) A limb or other bodily organ that can move. [15th-17th c.]
4. (law) Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour. [from 18th c.]
5. (architecture, fine arts) A motif. [from 19th c.]
6. (music) A motif; a theme or subject, especially one that is central to the work or often repeated. [from 19th c.]

Synonyms

• (creative works) motif

Related terms

Translations

Verb

motive (third-person singular simple present motives, present participle motiving, simple past and past participle motived)

1. (transitive) To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.

   Synonym: motivate

Translations

Adjective

motive (not comparable)

1. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
   • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus, Folio Society 2007, p. 195:

     In the motive parts of animals may be discovered mutuall proportions; not only in those of Quadrupeds, but in the thigh-bone, legge, foot-bone, and claws of Birds.

   Synonym: moving

2. Relating to motion and/or to its cause

   Synonym: motional

Translations

Further reading

• motive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• motive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• motive at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• evomit, move it

French

Verb

motive

1. first-person singular present indicative of motiver
2. third-person singular present indicative of motiver
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of motiver
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of motiver
5. second-person singular imperative of motiver

Latin

Adjective

m?t?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of m?t?vus

Portuguese

Verb

motive

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of motivar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of motivar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of motivar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of motivar

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mo?tive]

Noun

motive

1. plural of motiv

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

motive (Cyrillic spelling ??????)

1. accusative plural of motiv
2. vocative singular of motiv

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mo?tibe/, [mo?t?i.??e]

Verb

motive

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of motivar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of motivar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of motivar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of motivar.

English

Etymology

From Middle English wisshen, wischen, wüschen, from Old English w?s?an (“to wish”), from Proto-West Germanic *wunskijan, from Proto-Germanic *wunskijan? (“to wish”), from Proto-Indo-European *wun-, *wenh?- (“to wish, love”).

Cognate with Scots wis (“to wish”), Saterland Frisian wonskje (“to wish”), West Frisian winskje (“to wish”), Dutch wensen (“to wish”), German wünschen (“to wish”), Danish ønske (“to wish”), Icelandic æskja, óska (“to wish”), Latin Venus, veneror (“venerate, honour, love”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: w?sh, IPA^(key): /w??/
• Rhymes: -??
• Homophone: whish (in accents with the wine-whine merger)

Noun

wish (plural wishes)

1. A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
2. An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.
3. The thing desired or longed for.
   • 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw

     "I suppose all old soldiers are the same," said Mrs White. "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?" / "Might drop on his head from the sky," said the frivolous Herbert.

4. (Sussex) A water meadow.

Usage notes

• Collocates with make for the common expression make a wish. See Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• precatory
• velleity

Verb

wish (third-person singular simple present wishes, present participle wishing, simple past and past participle wished)

1. (transitive) To desire; to want.
   • 1716, Jonathan Swift, Phyllis, or the Progress of Love

     Now John the butler must be sent
     To learn the road that Phyllis went:
     The groom was wished to saddle Crop;
     For John must neither light nor stop,
     But find her, wheresoe'er she fled,
     And bring her back alive or dead.
2. (transitive, now rare) To hope (+ object clause with may or in present subjunctive).
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 84:

     I wish he mean me well, that he takes so much pains!

   • 1808, Jane Austen, letter, 1 October:

     She hears that Miss Bigg is to be married in a fortnight. I wish it may be so.

3. (intransitive, followed by for) To hope (for a particular outcome).
   • 1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures

     This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for.

   • 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw

     Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact," he said slowly. "It seems to me I've got all I want."

4. (ditransitive) To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).
   • Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil.

5. (intransitive, followed by to and an infinitive) To request or desire to do an activity.
6. (transitive) To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.
   • 1610, Ben Jonson, The Alchemist

     I was wished to your worship by a gentleman.

Usage notes

• In sense 4, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

Translations

References

• wish at OneLook Dictionary Search
• wish in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.