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
The 2021 Biden stimulus bill provided additional financial incentives to the holdout states.
—
The Editors, National Review, 5 June 2025
Consider stimulus like background noise, scent from air fresheners and perfumes, family members all calling the puppy at once etc.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Preventive therapies increase your migraine threshold, the amount of sensory stimuli required to trigger an attack.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
In March, Germany passed a 500 billion euro ($542 billion) stimulus and loosened government borrowing limits to pay for defense and infrastructure.
—Theodore Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stimulus
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.
The Editors, National Review, 5 June 2025
Consider stimulus like background noise, scent from air fresheners and perfumes, family members all calling the puppy at once etc.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Preventive therapies increase your migraine threshold, the amount of sensory stimuli required to trigger an attack.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
In March, Germany passed a 500 billion euro ($542 billion) stimulus and loosened government borrowing limits to pay for defense and infrastructure.
—Theodore Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 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 10 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share