ulterior
US
/ʌlˈtɪriɚ/
UK
/ʌlˈtɪəriə/
Meaning
Kept hidden, especially a selfish or dishonest reason behind someone’s words or actions.
छिपा हुआ मकसद, खासकर ऐसा स्वार्थी या बेईमान कारण जिसे कोई अपने शब्दों या कामों के पीछे छिपाए।
Examples
“I wondered whether he had an ulterior motive for offering to help.”
“Her friendly questions seemed innocent, but I suspected an ulterior purpose.”
“The company’s offer looked generous, yet employees questioned its ulterior motive.”
Useful patterns
Word toolkit
Build natural usageCommon collocations
Common mistakes
Not natural: She has ulterior motive for helping us.
Better: She has an ulterior motive for helping us.
Singular countable “motive” needs an article; use “an” before the vowel sound.
यहाँ “motive” एकवचन गिनने योग्य संज्ञा है, इसलिए उसके पहले “an” लगाना ज़रूरी है।
Not natural: I admire his ulterior motive.
Better: I admire his intention.
“Ulterior motive” usually suggests a concealed, selfish reason, so it does not fit genuine admiration.
“Ulterior motive” आम तौर पर छिपे हुए स्वार्थी मकसद का संकेत देता है, इसलिए सच्ची तारीफ़ के लिए “intention” बेहतर है।
Word Relationships
See how this word connects to related ideas.
Target word
Target word
Learner tip
“Ulterior” most often describes a motive; it suggests a hidden reason, commonly one that is selfish or dishonest.
“Ulterior” ज़्यादातर “motive” के साथ आता है और ऐसे छिपे कारण का संकेत देता है जो अक्सर स्वार्थी या बेईमान होता है।