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

Those news stories are confusing the timeline for the older stimulus checks. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025

Hawley’s news release states that the parameters for the tax rebate would be similar to the stimulus checks issued in 2020 during the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025

Stifel analysts warn of stagflation Analysts from investment bank Stifel warn in a new research note that a slowdown in consumer spending and fading effects of COVID-era stimulus have left the U.S. economy vulnerable to stagflation, predicting a selloff of 10% or more in the S&P 500. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025

Americans hit hard by inflation and rising costs are still holding out hope for a possible stimulus check in 2025. —Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 9 Aug. 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