excitation

American  

[ek-sahy-tay-shuhn, -si-] / ˌɛk saɪˈteɪ ʃən, -sɪ- /

noun

1. the act of exciting.

2. the state of being excited.

3. Electricity.

   1. the application of voltage to an electric device, as an electron-tube circuit, an antenna, or a dynamotor, often for producing a magnetic field in the device.

   2. the voltage applied.

4. Physics. a process in which a molecule, atom, nucleus, or particle is excited.

5. Also called drive. Electronics. the varying voltage applied to the control electrode of a vacuum tube.

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excitation British  

/ ˌɛksɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of exciting or state of being excited

2. a means of exciting or cause of excitement

3. 1. the current in a field coil of a generator, motor, etc, or the magnetizing current in a transformer

   2. ( as modifier )

      an excitation current

4. the action of a stimulus on an animal or plant organ, inducing it to respond

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excitation Scientific  

/ ĕk′sī-tā′shən /

1. The activity produced in an organ, tissue, or cell of the body that is caused by stimulation, especially by a nerve or neuron.

2. Compare inhibition

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Other Word Forms

• preexcitation
  noun
• superexcitation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of excitation

1350–1400; Middle English excitacioun < Late Latin excitātiōn- (stem of excitātiō ), equivalent to Latin excitāt ( us ) (past participle of excitāre; see excite) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

excitation

The researchers connected their thorium excitation apparatus to a conventional optical atomic clock, demonstrating that the nuclei could serve as a highly precise timekeeping reference.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

These atoms have a “resonance” with the photons, meaning the energy of the photon can be transferred temporarily to the atoms as an atomic excitation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

Because it played a more direct role in the original electronic excitation, its signal reflected both the redistribution of electrons and the molecule's changing structure.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026

The first tracks how quickly an excitation moves through the atomic chain, revealing details through propagation dynamics.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2026

Mr. Gitney and Mr. Sharpe sat across from us, clearly disordered by an excitation of nerves almost as extreme as my own.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson