stimulation
Americannoun
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the act of exciting a nerve, gland, etc., to its functional activity.
The fungus is known to have diverse effects on the body, from stimulation of the nervous system to constriction of blood vessels.
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something that arouses interest, inspiration, or incitement to action.
Children, with their developing brains, love stimulation and novelty.
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a cause or incitement.
Improved rural-urban communication links often act as stimulation for the growth of local towns.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stimulation
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin stimulātiō “incentive”; equivalent to stimulate ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )
Explanation
Stimulation spurs an organism to act. It can also be any specific event that causes someone to do something. Have you ever had a teacher who made you excited about a subject you didn't like before, causing you to study harder and learn more? That teacher must've provided stimulation: through the teacher, you were motivated to give more effort to the class. Like a stimulant, stimulation causes things to happen. A doctor hitting your knee is a type of stimulation that makes your leg jerk up. In zoos, animals are provided with food-based stimulation to make them exercise.
Vocabulary lists containing stimulation
Half a World Away
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Articles on Dangers of Technology
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The study was supported by LivaNova, PLC, the developer and manufacturer of the Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy system.
From Science Daily • Jan. 20, 2026
Stimulation excites the nerves so they are already itching to respond - and now, those weak messages are enough to trigger movement.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2023
The work at the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center represents some of the most cutting-age research in the brain-computer interface field, with the team connecting the brain to the arm to restore motion.
From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2022
Also known as sensory deprivation pods, Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy, or simply REST, the experience is a cocoon-like respite.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2022
Stimulation is to be avoided, and the patient should be carefully dieted.
From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
