stimulus

C1 Topic:Psychology & Behavior

US /ˈstɪm.jə.ləs/ See IPA manual

Freq #24710

Meanings

1

noun
Something that encourages activity or growth, especially in the economy.

The government introduced an economic stimulus to boost spending.
2

noun
Something that causes a reaction in a person, animal, or the senses.

The dog learned to respond to a sound as a stimulus for food.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something that encourages... impetus impulse incentive spur

2 noun · something that causes a... stimulation

Word family

Forms stimuluses

Derived forms antistimuluschemostimuluscontrastimuluscostimuluscounterstimulusextrastimulusgravistimulushyperstimulusinterstimulusmechanostimulusmicrostimulusperistimulus

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

stimulus generalization
responding to a new stimulus because it resembles one previously associated with that response

Noun + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin stimulus (“goad, prick”).

Topics

Psychology & Behavior Science & Research

External links

# stimulus

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈstɪm.jə.ləs/
**Frequency rank:** 24710

## Meanings
1. Something that encourages activity or growth, especially in the economy.
2. Something that causes a reaction in a person, animal, or the senses.

## Examples
- The government introduced an economic stimulus to boost spending.
- The dog learned to respond to a sound as a stimulus for food.

## Derived Forms
- antistimulus
- chemostimulus
- contrastimulus
- costimulus
- counterstimulus
- extrastimulus
- gravistimulus
- hyperstimulus
- interstimulus
- mechanostimulus
- microstimulus
- peristimulus

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin stimulus (“goad, prick”).

## AI Etymology
Stimulus is borrowed from Latin stimulus (“goad, prick”). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as antistimulus, chemostimulus, contrastimulus, and costimulus. In present use it covers something that encourages activity or growth, especially in the economy and something that causes a reaction in a person, animal, or the senses.

## Topics
- Psychology & Behavior
- Science & Research

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