- Stimuli are things that provoke a response or activity, or that cause organs or tissues in the body to react in a certain way.
Bright lights that make your eyes squint shut are an example of visual stimuli.
- plural form of stimulus
Variant of stimulus
- something that rouses or incites to action or increased action; incentive
- Physiol., Psychol. any action or agent that causes or changes an activity in an organism, organ, or part, as something that excites an end organ, starts a nerve impulse, activates a muscle, etc.
Origin of stimulusClassical Latin a goad, sting, torment, pang, spur, incentive: see style