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)
Synonyms
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
Policymakers have yet to announce large-scale stimulus, while acknowledging that domestic demand is insufficient.
—
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2024
Sahm’s aim in establishing a reliable rule was that stimulus checks can be sent out at the outset of recessions (as opposed to waiting for GDP data to indicate a recession).
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024
That has moved from the recent low of 5% in 2021, when consumers were flush from pandemic-era stimulus.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024
That stimulus led O’Keeffe almost immediately to try her hand at something new.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stimulus 
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2024
Sahm’s aim in establishing a reliable rule was that stimulus checks can be sent out at the outset of recessions (as opposed to waiting for GDP data to indicate a recession).
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024
That has moved from the recent low of 5% in 2021, when consumers were flush from pandemic-era stimulus.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024
That stimulus led O’Keeffe almost immediately to try her hand at something new.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stimulus
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stimulus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Stimulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stimulus. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
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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