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

Major Asian indexes saw strong gains, fueled by optimism that China would roll out stimulus measures to support its slowing economy. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

However, the government recently announced a stimulus plan, which includes lowering interest rates and fiscal support and this could help consumer spending. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli, causing our senses to work overtime on what is not necessary or important. —Shira Gill, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024

Chinese authorities since late September have started doubling down on stimulus efforts by cutting rates on existing mortgages and signaling further support. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024

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