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
Conscious perception is the ability of human beings to become aware of the stimuli received by their senses.
—
Jorge Garay, Wired News, 19 Apr. 2025
This micro-moment creates space between stimulus and response, where emotional intelligence flourishes.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The Recovery Rebate Credit is aimed at taxpayers who didn't get all or some of the stimulus checks when they were issued during the pandemic.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2025
Americans waited for stimulus checks to arrive in their bank accounts and essential workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in Queens had their temperature taken before clocking in.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
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Jorge Garay, Wired News, 19 Apr. 2025
This micro-moment creates space between stimulus and response, where emotional intelligence flourishes.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The Recovery Rebate Credit is aimed at taxpayers who didn't get all or some of the stimulus checks when they were issued during the pandemic.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2025
Americans waited for stimulus checks to arrive in their bank accounts and essential workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in Queens had their temperature taken before clocking in.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 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 Apr. 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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