A motet is a highly varied choral musical composition that has undergone numerous transformations through many centuries. It is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet represents one of the earliest forms of polyphonic choral composition in Western music. The term "motet" appears to derive from the French "mots" - "words" - though the jury is still out on that.

The motet began in the early 13th century as an application of a new text (i.e., "word") to older music. Specifically, the text was added to the wordless upper-voice parts of descant clausulae. These were short sections of organum, a 13th-century and earlier form consisting of a plainchant melody in the tenor, above which were added one, two, or three simultaneous melodies. In forming motets from descant clausulae, two or even three parts were each given a text. Although the earliest motets were usually in Latin and intended for church use, there later arose bilingual motets (French-Latin, English-Latin) on secular and sacred texts or combinations of both.

The Renaissance motet is a polyphonic musical setting, sometimes in imitative counterpoint, for a chorus singing a Latin and usually sacred text. It is not connected to a specific liturgy, making it suitable for any service. After about 1600, the term motet came to indicate any composition setting a serious nonliturgical but often sacred text.

Famous composers of motets include Arvo Pärt, Dave Soldier, Sven-David Sandström, Enjott Schneider, Ludger Stühlmeyer, and Pierre.