ulterior motive
Secret driving purpose
An ulterior motive is a hidden reason behind an action—one concealed because it's self-serving or manipulative.
The word ulterior means lying beyond what's openly shown.
Someone with an ulterior motive appears helpful or friendly while actually pursuing a private agenda: She suspected he had ulterior motives for offering to drive her home.
Skilled at controlling others
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- deviousUnderhanded and calculating
duplicitous · deceitful · underhanded · calculating · sly · crafty · two-faced · disingenuous
Reason something exists
design · plan · reason · end game · self-interest · angle · vested interest · bottom line
Made invisible deliberately
- covertIntentionally concealed
- undisclosedNot made known
- veiledConcealed or obscured
- disguisedConcealed true identity
masked · secretive · clandestine · surreptitious · furtive · stealthy · undercover · camouflaged
Figured out mathematically
- premeditatedPlanned before acting
- deliberateConsciously chosen, not accidental
- tacticalStrategically planned
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
shrewd · astute · plotting · machination · long game · positioning · orchestrated · contrived
manipulative
Skilled at controlling others
devious · duplicitous · deceitful · underhanded · calculating · sly · crafty · two-faced · disingenuous · insincere
purpose
Reason something exists
aim · design · plan · reason · end game · self-interest · angle · vested interest · bottom line · driving force
concealed
Made invisible deliberately
- covertIntentionally concealed
- undisclosedNot made known
- veiledConcealed or obscured
disguised · masked · secretive · clandestine · surreptitious · furtive · stealthy · undercover · camouflaged · unrevealed
calculated
Figured out mathematically
- premeditatedPlanned before acting
- deliberateConsciously chosen, not accidental
- tacticalStrategically planned
maneuvering · shrewd · astute · plotting · machination · long game · positioning · orchestrated · contrived · engineered
- hidden motiveshidden agenda, secret plan, scheming, plotting, deceit
- motivesintent, intention, purpose, goal, aim
- malicemalice, ill will, spite, malevolence, malignity
- skepticismdoubt, skeptic, doubts, debunker, doubtful
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- selfishnessselfishness, greed, egoism, narcissism, self-centeredness
ulterior motivecards on the table
Total openness about intentions
frankness · candor · straightforwardness · openness · transparency
ulterior motivegood faith
Sincere, honest intent
sincerity · good intentions · clean hands · bona fides · altruism
motive, ultimate, ultimately, motives, penultimate, ulterior, ulterior motives