"to stimulate toward action, act as the inciting cause of," 1863, from motive + -ate (2); perhaps modeled on French motiver or German motivieren. Related: Motivated; motivating.

word-forming element attached to verbs, making nouns of state, condition, or action, from French -ion or directly from Latin -ionem (nominative -io, genitive -ionis), common suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs.

"of or pertaining to motivation," 1931, from motivation + -al (1).

1980 (self-motivated is attested from 1949), "motivated by one's own interest or enthusiasm, without external influence," from self- + motivation. Related: Self-motivating; self-motivational.