stimulus
noun
stim·u·lus
ˈstim-yə-ləs 
plural stimuli
ˈstim-yə-ˌlī
-ˌlē
-ˌlē
: 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
China is balancing the need for stimulus with concerns of fueling a stock market bubble that could repeat the crash of 2015.
—
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
Forty years ago, Donald Homa, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University specializing in memory and the visual perception of linguistic stimuli, was contacted by officials at the American Speed Reading Academy with an extraordinary tale.
—Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
Also expected to announce her candidacy this week is former Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi, a proponent of government stimulus and monetary easing who could become Japan's first female leader.
—Satoshi Sugiyama, Reuters, 15 Sep. 2025
The hope was that a quick jolt of stimulus (delivered without haste) could stir an economic recovery.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
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Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
Forty years ago, Donald Homa, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University specializing in memory and the visual perception of linguistic stimuli, was contacted by officials at the American Speed Reading Academy with an extraordinary tale.
—Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
Also expected to announce her candidacy this week is former Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi, a proponent of government stimulus and monetary easing who could become Japan's first female leader.
—Satoshi Sugiyama, Reuters, 15 Sep. 2025
The hope was that a quick jolt of stimulus (delivered without haste) could stir an economic recovery.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
Cite this Entry
“Stimulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stimulus. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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