stimulus

noun

stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
plural stimuli ˈstim-yə-ˌlī How to pronounce stimulus (audio) -ˌlē How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
: something that rouses or incites to activity: such as
a
c
: an agent (such as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of a living organism or one of its parts (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)

Examples of stimulus in a Sentence

The pay raise was a stimulus for production. Heat and light are physical stimuli. The dog responded to the stimulus of the ringing bell.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To put it into perspective, the two 2020 and one 2021 stimulus checks issued to Americans from the stimulus package totaled around $931 billion in financial relief via the stimulus checks, according to reports from the Government Accountability Office in 2022. Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 25 July 2025 The big story China’s economy requires more than short-term stimulus, even as deflationary pressures intensify. Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 July 2025 Not much, except now there’s no stimulus check liquidity, no novelty in zero commissions, and far less of a surprise factor. Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025 While the pandemic, government stimulus and shifts to remote work drove record entrepreneurial activity, interest in starting new businesses remains strong. Nino Paoli, Fortune, 22 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for stimulus

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stimulus was in 1684

Cite this Entry

“Stimulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stimulus. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

stimulus

noun
stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
plural stimuli -ˌlī How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
-ˌlē
1
: something that rouses or stirs to action : incentive
2
: something (as an environmental change) that acts to partly change bodily activity (as by exciting a sensory organ)
heat, light, and sound are common physical stimuli

Medical Definition

stimulus

noun
stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
plural stimuli -ˌlī How to pronounce stimulus (audio) -ˌlē How to pronounce stimulus (audio)
1
2
: an agent (as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of living protoplasm (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)
a visual stimulus

More from Merriam-Webster on stimulus

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