Stimulus

How to spell stimulus

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce stimulus

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does stimulus mean?

1. nounSomething that rouses activity, interest, or a response.
2. nounGovernment spending or tax measures intended to boost economic activity.
3. nounA thing or event that triggers a physical or sensory reaction in an organism.

Stimulus in a sentence

• The prize money was a powerful stimulus for the whole sales team.

• The government announced a fresh stimulus to revive consumer spending.

• A bright light is a strong stimulus for the pupils of the eye.

• A change of scenery can act as a stimulus for fresh ideas.

• Economists argued over whether the stimulus would reduce unemployment.

• The experiment measured how quickly each stimulus produced a reaction.

Where does stimulus come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes directly from the Latin stimulus, which literally named a sharp, pointed stick or goad that a herder used to prod cattle into moving. From that very physical sense of jabbing an animal forward, Latin speakers extended the word to mean anything that spurs, prods, or incites action. English took the word over in the early 1600s, keeping both the literal Latin spelling and the original meaning of something that rouses activity or response. The same root that meant 'to prick or goad' also lies behind the verb 'stimulate' and the surprisingly distant relative 'stick', since the underlying idea was always a sharp point that drives something into motion. Because the word is borrowed whole from Latin, it keeps the awkward ending -ulus and the Latin plural 'stimuli', which is where most writers stumble.

How the word is built

• stimul- (Latin: goad, pointed stick used to drive cattle)
• -us (Latin masculine noun ending)