mainspringnoun [ C usually singular ]
uk/ˈmeɪn.sprɪŋ/us/ˈmeɪn.sprɪŋ/formalthe most important reason for something; the thing that makes something else happen:
Work was the mainspring of his life.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Motives and reasons
- cause 1
- drive
- first principles
- ground
- hidden agenda
- impulse
- in the name of sth idiom
- inclination
- justification
- motivation
- motive
- name
- object
- peg
- rationale
- reason
- should
- wherefores
- why