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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