stimulus

noun stim·u·lus \ ˈstim-yə-ləs \

Updated on: 10 Nov 2017

Definition of stimulus

plural stimuli play \-ˌlī, -ˌlē\

:something that rouses or incites to activity: such as

a :incentive

b :stimulant 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)

See stimulus defined for English-language learners

See stimulus defined for kids

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 of stimulus from the Web

Housing investments, as well as record government stimulus, had played a major part in seeing Norway through the oil crisis.

— sveinung sleire, Bloomberg.com, "Housing Crash Dodged in Norway, But Intervention Door Stays Open," 2 Nov. 2017
Interest rates should climb as the Federal Reserve continues to raise short-term rates and pulls the plug on its bond-buying stimulus program.

— stan choe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Here comes earnings season: Brace for a slowdown in growth," 12 Oct. 2017
The second purpose is to generate undue stimulus on the shot-caller, good or bad.

— robert klemko, SI.com, "Remembering What NFL Trade Grades and Pundit Reactions Are Worth," 2 Nov. 2017
Situated in the hypothalamus near the crossing of the optic nerves, the SCN takes most of its cues from visual stimuli, especially light.

— mark ellwood, WSJ, "Can This Mask Make Jet Lag a Thing of the Past?," 27 Oct. 2017
Sensation Play Sensation play can refer to a huge range of activities based on the receiving or withholding of different stimuli.

— sophie saint thomas, Allure, "11 of the Most Common Sexual Fetishes," 1 Nov. 2017
In fact, humans can be bothered by any lags that are perceptibly longer than the speed at which our own nervous system can respond to stimuli (about 250 milliseconds).

— ed finn, Slate Magazine, "How Predictions Can Change the Future," 7 Sep. 2017
In fact, one contribution of Bornstein’s work is that suggestion that brain development can continue beyond young adulthood, with motherhood as a key stimulus, commented Yale University researcher Linda Mayes, who did not participate in the study.

— Washington Post, "Waaah: Crying babies push same ‘buttons’ in mothers’ brains," 23 Oct. 2017
Barack Obama’s economic stimulus: 43 percent good idea, 27 percent bad idea ( 16)

— chuck todd, NBC News, "One Big Problem for Trump’s Tax Plan? It’s Already Unpopular.," 1 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stimulus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of stimulus

Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1684

See Words from the same year

stimulus Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

counterincentive, disincentive

Related Words

inducement, invitation; antecedent, cause, consideration, grounds, motive, occasion, reason; catalyst, catalyzer, fuel, spark

STIMULUS Defined for English Language Learners

stimulus

noun

Definition of stimulus for English Language Learners

: something that causes something else to happen, develop, or become more active
: something that causes a change or a reaction

STIMULUS Defined for Kids

stimulus

noun stim·u·lus \ ˈsti-myə-ləs \

Definition of stimulus for Students

plural stimuli \-ˌlī, -ˌlē\

1 :something that stirs or urges to action

The reward was a stimulus for greater effort.

2 :an influence that acts usually from outside the body to partly change bodily activity (as by exciting a receptor or sense organ)

Light, heat, and sound are common physical stimuli.

Medical Dictionary

stimulus

noun stim·u·lus \ ˈstim-yə-ləs \

medical Definition of stimulus

plural stimuli play \-ˌlī, -ˌlē\

1 :stimulant 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)