excitatory

adjective

ex·​cit·​ato·​ry ik-ˈsī-tə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce excitatory (audio)
: exhibiting, resulting from, relating to, or producing excitement or excitation
excitatory nerve fibers

Examples of excitatory in a Sentence

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.
As that handover proceeds, the excitatory signal that keeps your muscles faintly tensed all day begins to withdraw, and muscle tone drops toward the near-paralysis of deep sleep. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 In simpler terms, magnesium glycinate quiets excitatory brain signals, helps your body shift into sleep mode and reduces the stress hormones that keep you wired at night. — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026 Osmond and her sisters have variations on a gene that affects receptors for glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter with many functions throughout the brain. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026 For example, an excitatory place cell in the hippocampus can fire when an animal is in a particular location. — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for excitatory

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of excitatory was in 1803

Rhymes for excitatory

See All Rhymes for excitatory

Browse Nearby Words

excitative
excitatory
excite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excitatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excitatory. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

excitatory

adjective
ex·​cit·​ato·​ry ik-ˈsīt-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- How to pronounce excitatory (audio)
1
: tending to induce excitation (as of a neuron)
excitatory substances
excitatory and inhibitory pathways from the brain—W. G. Van der Kloot
2
: exhibiting, resulting from, related to, or produced by excitement or excitation
an excitatory postsynaptic potential
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All