stimulus

noun

stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
plural stimuli ˈstim-yə-ˌlī How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
-ˌlē
: something that rouses or incites to activity: such as
a
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)

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 Anderson said the rapid rise in inflation, driven by the federal government's stimulus policies to spur spending during the pandemic, turned into a serious concern for many families. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 But there was no indication of how China might bolster the country’s social safety net, or whether officials will consider direct stimulus to consumers. Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Typically, the activity of the default mode network decreases when someone is paying attention to an external stimulus, while activity in the two other networks increases. Nora Bradford, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024 Conversely, a higher target of about 5.5% would indicate more aggressive stimulus, said Neil Thomas, a Chinese politics fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute. Ken Moritsugu, Quartz, 3 Mar. 2024 The effort recalls former president Donald Trump’s 2020 push to send letters to taxpayers alerting them to stimulus checks his administration processed by the millions during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. Toluse Olorunnipa, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 But that all changed when the pandemic closed the economy and forced the release of trillions of dollars in stimulus. Robert E. Lighthizer, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024 The digital age has brought immense connectivity but has also introduced a constant stream of information and stimuli. Womensmedia, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The nation’s construction sector is expected to ramp up next month, and there will be a focus on whether Beijing will inject further fiscal stimulus to effectively counter steep declines from the crash in the metals-intensive housing market. Paul-Alain Hunt, Fortune Asia, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stimulus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stimulus was in 1684

Dictionary Entries Near stimulus

Cite this Entry

“Stimulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stimulus. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stimulus

noun
stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
plural stimuli -ˌlī How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
-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 How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
plural stimuli -ˌlī How to pronounce stimulus (audio) -ˌlē How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on stimulus

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