stimulus

[stim-yuh-luhs]

noun

plural

stimuli 

1. something that incites to action or exertion or quickens action, feeling, thought, etc..

   The approval of others is a potent stimulus.

   Synonyms: provocation, motive, enticement, incitement
   Antonyms: discouragement

2. Physiology, Medicine/Medical.,  something that excites an organism or part to functional activity.

   Synonyms: stimulant

stimulus

/ ˈstɪmjʊləs /

noun

1. something that stimulates or acts as an incentive

2. any drug, agent, electrical impulse, or other factor able to cause a response in an organism

3. an object or event that is apprehended by the senses

4. med a former name for stimulant

stimulus

plural

stimuli 

1. Physiology,  Something that can elicit or evoke a physiological response in a cell, a tissue, or an organism. A stimulus can be internal or external. Sense organs, such as the ear, and sensory receptors, such as those in the skin, are sensitive to external stimuli such as sound and touch.

2. Something that has an impact or an effect on an organism so that its behavior is modified in a detectable way.

3. See more at classical conditioning

stimulus

1. plur. stimuli (stim-yuh-leye) An action, condition, or person that provokes a response, especially a conditioned response.

Other Word Forms

• interstimulus noun
• poststimulus adjective
• prestimulus noun
• understimulus noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stimulus¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin: “a goad”

Word History and Origins

Origin of stimulus¹

C17: from Latin: a cattle goad

Example Sentences

He offered a table showing previous stimulus episodes to contrast just how different the current situation is.

Read more on MarketWatch

“Sales should get a boost in 2026 from fiscal stimulus and a faster pace of hiring, with new vehicle sales projected to climb steadily over the year,” said Ben Ayers, senior economist at Nationwide.

Read more on MarketWatch

When the same heat stimulus was later reapplied, participants continued to feel less pain in the areas where the placebo cream had been used, even though the temperature was no longer reduced.

Read more on Science Daily

Gross domestic product rose 1.2% in the July-September period from the previous quarter, driven by government stimulus and exports’ resilience despite tariff headwinds.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She treats sadness as a stimulus on the gospel-inspired All This Love, determinedly pushing herself back into life.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• catalyst 
• encouragement 
• fillip 
• impetus 
• incentive 
• motivation 
• stimulant 
• stimulation 

When To Use

What does stimulus mean?

In general, a stimulus is something that provokes or causes an action or response, as in Failing that test was the stimulus I needed to start studying harder.The plural of stimulus is stimuli. Its verb form is stimulate, which typically means to spur into action or to invigorate.In the context of science, a stimulus is anything that makes an organism or a part of an organism react in some way. For example, for most plants, sunlight acts as a stimulus that causes (stimulates) them to grow or move toward it.In economics, a stimulus is an injection of money into an economy by a government that’s intended to spur (stimulate) economic growth. This can take many forms, such as giving money directly to citizens via stimulus checks. In this sense, stimulus is usually used in the singular, especially in phrases like economic stimulus, stimulus package, and stimulus plan.Example: Congress has passed an unprecedented stimulus package in response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the hopes of stimulating the economy at a time when so many people have lost income due to being out of work.