stimulus

/ˈstɪmjələs/

/ˈstɪmjulɪs/

Other forms: stimuli

A stimulus causes an action or response, like the ringing of your alarm clock if you didn't sleep through it.

Stimulus is a word often used in biology — something that causes a reaction in an organ or cell, for example. In financial and economic contexts, a stimulus may be an incentive: the money you spend on your membership is a stimulus for hitting the gym. Though it can be a synonym for stimulant, they are not always used interchangeably. A stimulant is often a chemical or drug that increases activity — think caffeine. For more than one stimulus, use stimuli, not stimuluses.

Definitions of stimulus

1. noun

   any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action
   synonyms: input, stimulant, stimulation

   types:

   elicitation, evocation, induction

   stimulation that calls up (draws forth) a particular class of behaviors

   kick

   the sudden stimulation provided by strong drink (or certain drugs)

   turn-on

   something causing excitement or stimulating interest

   negative stimulation, turnoff

   something causing antagonism or loss of interest

   conditioned stimulus

   the stimulus that is the occasion for a conditioned response

   reinforcement, reinforcer, reinforcing stimulus

   (psychology) a stimulus that strengthens or weakens the behavior that produced it

   cue, discriminative stimulus

   a stimulus that provides information about what to do

   positive stimulus

   a stimulus with desirable consequences

   negative stimulus

   a stimulus with undesirable consequences

   positive reinforcer, positive reinforcing stimulus

   a reinforcing stimulus that serves to increase the likelihood of the response that produces it

   negative reinforcer, negative reinforcing stimulus

   a reinforcing stimulus whose removal serves to decrease the likelihood of the response that produced it

   bonus, fillip

   an additional benefit, reward, or extra added to something else

   delight, joy, pleasure

   something or someone that provides a source of happiness

   annoyance, bother, botheration, infliction, pain, pain in the neck

   something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness

   aversive stimulus

   any negative stimulus to which an organism will learn to make a response that avoids it

   concern, headache, vexation, worry

   something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

   grief, sorrow

   something that causes great unhappiness

   type of:

   information

   knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction
2. noun

   a set of measures designed to encourage the economy during an economic downturn
   type of:

   economic policy

   a government policy for maintaining economic growth and tax revenues