stimulus

[ stim-yuh-luhs ]
See synonyms for stimulus on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural stim·u·li [stim-yuh-lahy]. /ˈstɪm yəˌlaɪ/.
  1. something that incites to action or exertion or quickens action, feeling, thought, etc.: The approval of others is a potent stimulus.

  2. Physiology, Medicine/Medical. something that excites an organism or part to functional activity.

Origin of stimulus

1
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin: “a goad”

Other words for stimulus

Opposites for stimulus

Other words from stimulus

  • in·ter·stim·u·lus, noun, plural in·ter·stim·u·li.
  • post·stim·u·lus, adjective
  • pre·stim·u·lus, noun, plural pre·stim·u·li.
  • un·der·stim·u·lus, noun, plural un·der·stim·u·li.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for stimulus

stimulus

/ (ˈstɪmjʊləs) /


nounplural -li (-ˌlaɪ, -ˌliː)
  1. something that stimulates or acts as an incentive

  2. any drug, agent, electrical impulse, or other factor able to cause a response in an organism

  1. an object or event that is apprehended by the senses

  2. med a former name for stimulant

Origin of stimulus

1
C17: from Latin: a cattle goad

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for stimulus

stimulus

[ stĭmyə-ləs ]


Plural stimuli (stĭmyə-lī′)
  1. Physiology Something that can elicit or evoke a physiological response in a cell, a tissue, or an organism. A stimulus can be internal or external. Sense organs, such as the ear, and sensory receptors, such as those in the skin, are sensitive to external stimuli such as sound and touch.

  2. Something that has an impact or an effect on an organism so that its behavior is modified in a detectable way. See more at classical conditioning.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for stimulus

stimulus

plur. stimuli (stim-yuh-leye)

An action, condition, or person that provokes a response, especially a conditioned response.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.