stimulus

noun

stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs 

plural stimuli ˈstim-yə-ˌlī  -ˌlē 

: something that rouses or incites to activity: such as

a

: incentive

b

: stimulant sense 1

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)

Synonyms

• incentive
• impetus
• encouragement
• motivation

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

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stimulus

• limulus

Kids Definition

stimulus

noun

stim·​u·​lus ˈstim-yə-ləs 

plural stimuli -ˌlī 

-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 

plural stimuli -ˌlī  -ˌlē 

1

: stimulant sense 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