stimulus

noun

stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs 

plural stimuli ˈstim-yə-ˌlī  -ˌlē 

: something that rouses or incites to activity: such as

a

: incentive

b

: stimulant sense 1

c

: an agent (such as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of a living organism or one of its parts (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)

Synonyms

• boost
• encouragement
• goad
• impetus
• impulse
• incentive
• incitation
• incitement
• instigation
• momentum
• motivation
• provocation
• spur
• stimulant
• yeast

Examples of stimulus in a Sentence

The pay raise was a stimulus for production.

Heat and light are physical stimuli.

The dog responded to the stimulus of the ringing bell.

Recent Examples on the Web

What to Know The new payments, known as Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC), are being sent to eligible taxpayers who did not claim federal stimulus checks they were entitled to as part of their tax returns for 2021. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025

From bailing out financial institutions in 2008 to funding government stimulus programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fed has consistently prioritized political expediency over economic fundamentals. —Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Here's what to know about the IRS' latest round of stimulus checks and who is eligible to receive them. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025

In the meantime, the nation's debt has ballooned to a record $36.2 trillion as of mid-January due to a combination of fiscal stimulus authorized by both Biden and Trump, as well as Trump's 2017 tax cuts. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

stimulus

noun

stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs 

plural stimuli -ˌlī 

-ˌlē

1

: something that rouses or stirs to action : incentive

2

: something (as an environmental change) that acts to partly change bodily activity (as by exciting a sensory organ)

heat, light, and sound are common physical stimuli

Medical Definition

stimulus

noun

stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs 

plural stimuli -ˌlī  -ˌlē 

1

: stimulant sense 1

2

: an agent (as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of living protoplasm (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)

a visual stimulus