World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesHintergedanke
Pronunciation / Transliteration: Hɪntɐɡəˌdankə
"Sein Angebot hatte einen bestimmten Hintergedanken."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
A hidden purpose or reason for doing something, especially one that is kept concealed from other people.
"He offered to help me move, but I suspected he had an ulterior motive." - 2
An underlying, unstated agenda that influences someone's actions beneath the surface of their apparent intentions.
"The company's sudden generosity was met with skepticism regarding their ulterior motives."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
The term combines the Latin 'ulterior', meaning 'further' or 'lying beyond', with the French 'motif', meaning 'reason' or 'cause'. Emerging in the 18th century, the phrase originally referred simply to a future or more distant goal, but it gradually shifted in modern usage to denote a hidden purpose or a concealed, often selfish agenda.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Ulterior motive"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Ulterior motive" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
arrière-pensée
Transliteration: a-ryɛr pɑ̃-se
"Elle a accepté sans arrière-pensée."
Hintergedanke
Transliteration: Hɪntɐɡəˌdankə
"Sein Angebot hatte einen bestimmten Hintergedanken."
doppio fine
Transliteration: dɔppjo fiːne
"Agiva senza alcun doppio fine."
segunda intención
Transliteration: seˈɣunda intenˈsjon
"Hizo el comentario con una segunda intención."
segunda intenção
Transliteration: seˈɡũdɐ ĩtẽˈsɐ̃w
"Ele fez o favor sem nenhuma segunda intenção."
गुप्त उद्देश्य
Transliteration: gupta uddeshya
"मुझे संदेह था कि उसकी मदद के पीछे कोई गुप्त उद्देश्य था।"
不可告人的目的
Transliteration: bù kě gào rén de mù dì
"我觉得他这样做有不可告人的目的。"
숨은 의도
Transliteration: sumeun udo
"그의 친절 뒤에는 숨은 의도가 있었다."
下心
Transliteration: shitagokoro
"彼の優しさには何か下心がある気がする。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
View all German termsExplore Nuanced Synonyms for "Ulterior motive"
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