Motive Wave
Elliott Wave Theory glossary · Core Axioms & Motive Wave Rules
Definition
A wave that moves in the direction of the larger trend. Motive waves include standard impulses, extended impulses, and diagonal triangles.
Motive Wave in plain English
Think of a stock's overall journey as a bus going somewhere — a motive wave is any stretch of the trip where the bus is actually moving toward the destination, not just idling or backing up to parallel park. In Elliott Wave, the big trend is the destination, and motive waves are the powerful, purposeful moves that carry price in that same direction. They come in a few flavors — plain impulses, extended (extra-stretchy) impulses, and diagonal triangles — but they all share one job: making real progress. When you spot a motive wave, you know the market is committing to the trend rather than just wobbling.
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