excitation

American  

[ek-sahy-tey-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; excite ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Simulations indicated no significant enhancement at the excitation wavelength, and experiments using different pump wavelengths consistently produced the strongest emission at the same cavity depth.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

"I thought, 'Wait, can we just mimic light excitation of ultrasound waves in photoacoustic tomography, but do it ultrasonically?'"

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2026

In quantum systems made up of many interacting particles, continuous excitation is normally assumed to cause steady energy absorption.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

For example, the chlorophyll pigment in D1 has an excitation state at a lower energy than its D2 counterpart, suggesting that the D1 pigment has a better chance of attracting and transferring electrons.

From Science Daily • Oct. 13, 2025

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