stimulus
stimulus Lexical Profile
stimulus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Something that rouses, encourages, or incites activity, growth, or development, especially a government policy or financial package designed to boost economic activity.
"The central bank introduced a fiscal stimulus to support small businesses and spur job creation."
A detectable change in the internal or external environment, or an agent, action, or condition, that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ, tissue, or living organism.
"Plant shoots naturally bend and grow toward the stimulus of sunlight."
Word Nuance & Usage
The standard plural of 'stimulus' is the irregular Latin form 'stimuli', and it is sometimes confused with 'stimulant', which specifically refers to a chemical substance or drug that increases physiological activity.
• Rhymes for stimulus
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 17th century directly from Latin 'stimulus', meaning a pointed goad used for driving cattle, a sting, or figuratively an incentive.