impetus

noun

im·​pe·​tus ˈim-pə-təs How to pronounce impetus (audio)
1
a(1)
: a driving force : impulse
b
: stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity
2
: the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion
used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion

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Impetus Has Latin Roots

Impetus comes from the Latin verb impetere, meaning "to attack," which is a combination of the prefix in-, meaning "toward," with petere, meaning "to go to" or "to seek." Hence, impetus describes the kind of force that encourages an action ("The impetus behind the project") or the momentum of an action already begun ("The meetings only gave impetus to the rumors of a merger").

Examples of impetus in a Sentence

In a revealing comment, Mr. Updike says an impetus for Rabbit, Run was the "threatening" success of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, the signature book of the 1950s Beat Generation, and its frenetic search for sensation. Dennis Farney, Wall Street Journal, 16 Sept. 1992
But 1939 gave new impetus to the Western with the Cecil B. de Mille railway epic Union Pacific, John Ford's skillful and dramatic Stagecoach,  … and George Marshall's classic comic Western, Destry Rides Again. Ira Konigsberg, The Complete Film Dictionary, 1987
… new techniques of navigation and shipbuilding enlarged trade and the geographical horizon; newly centralized power absorbed from the declining medieval communes was at the disposal of the monarchies and the growing nationalism of the past century gave it impetus Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly, 1984
His discoveries have given impetus to further research. the reward money should be sufficient impetus for someone to come forward with information about the robbery
Recent Examples on the Web Dan Ives, senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities, said the impetus for the potential deal boils down to Apple hoping to bolster iPhone sales. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 But the rule changes the NAR agreed to as part of the settlement could give home sellers and buyers more impetus to negotiate lower agent commissions. Alex Veiga, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2024 But the rule changes the association agreed to as part of the settlement could give home sellers and buyers more impetus to negotiate lower agent commissions. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2024 It’s been the impetus to seek out projects that are important to me. Perri Ormont Blumberg, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 But the impetus for long-overdue changes faded along with memories of the 2021 recall. Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 In a statement explaining the impetus for the series, Dr. Smith noted that the idea came from her daily interaction with the Gen Z students on campus. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 Many of today’s leaders in commercial autonomy benefitted from that impetus during their graduate school years and went on to found startups in commercial autonomy. Richard Bishop, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Sometimes, the impetus for a second job is the state of the economy. Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impetus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, assault, impetus, from impetere to attack, from in- + petere to go to, seek — more at feather

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of impetus was in 1641

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Dictionary Entries Near impetus

Cite this Entry

“Impetus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impetus. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impetus

noun
im·​pe·​tus ˈim-pət-əs How to pronounce impetus (audio)
1
a
: a driving force : impulse
b
2

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