stimulation

American  

[stim-yuh-lay-shuhn] / ˌstɪm jəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

• stimulations
  plural

1. 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.

2. something that arouses interest, inspiration, or incitement to action.

   Children, with their developing brains, love stimulation and novelty.

3. a cause or incitement.

   Improved rural-urban communication links often act as stimulation for the growth of local towns.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antistimulation
  noun
• hyperstimulation
  noun
• interstimulation
  noun
• nonstimulation
  noun
• overstimulation
  noun
• prestimulation
  noun
• restimulation
  noun
• self-stimulation
  noun
• superstimulation
  noun
• poststimulation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stimulations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of stimulation

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin stimulātiō “incentive”; equivalent to stimulate ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stimulation stimulations

Although greater activity in the locus coeruleus generally promotes alertness, excessive stimulation can have the opposite effect.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

The researchers suggest that this constant stimulation can strain attention, make sustained concentration more difficult, and contribute to mental fatigue.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Power is supplied wirelessly from outside the body, allowing doctors or patients to adjust the stimulation in real time.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

The published paper reports that electrical signals slowed after this stimulation, with the effect lasting at least an hour.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

Auditory stimulation through simple activities can enhance attention in children, exercise the brain, and create a flexible and responsive brain.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

That device sends mild electrical stimulations through the vagus nerve to the brain, sparking a release of chemicals like serotonin and dopamine which help us regulate our mood.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2025

It turned out that both were equally as sensitive to the strong stimulations.

From Salon ● Dec. 1, 2023

The results of the study show that hearing impairment is associated with regionally specific brain changes that may occur due to sensory deprivation and to the increased effort required to understand auditory processing stimulations.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 21, 2023

Knowing where to direct brain stimulations also does not resolve the question of what frequency to use, scientists said.

From New York Times ● Jun. 13, 2022

"Well, Mantelish was dosing this plasmoid with mild electrical stimulations," Holati went on.

From Legacy by James H. Schmitz

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Related Words

• incentive
• stimulant

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