impetus

noun

im·pe·tus ˈim-pə-təs

Synonyms of impetus next

a(1)

: a driving force : impulse

(2)

: incentive, stimulus

: stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity

: the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion

—used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion

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Impetus Has Latin Roots

Impetus comes from the Latin verb impetere, meaning "to attack," which is a combination of the prefix in-, meaning "toward," with petere, meaning "to go to" or "to seek." Hence, impetus describes the kind of force that encourages an action ("The impetus behind the project") or the momentum of an action already begun ("The meetings only gave impetus to the rumors of a merger").

Example Sentences

In a revealing comment, Mr. Updike says an impetus for Rabbit, Run was the "threatening" success of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, the signature book of the 1950s Beat Generation, and its frenetic search for sensation. —

Dennis Farney, Wall Street Journal, 16 Sept. 1992

But 1939 gave new impetus to the Western with the Cecil B. de Mille railway epic Union Pacific, John Ford's skillful and dramatic Stagecoach, … and George Marshall's classic comic Western, Destry Rides Again. —

Ira Konigsberg, The Complete Film Dictionary, 1987

… new techniques of navigation and shipbuilding enlarged trade and the geographical horizon; newly centralized power absorbed from the declining medieval communes was at the disposal of the monarchies and the growing nationalism of the past century gave it impetus … —

Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly, 1984

His discoveries have given impetus to further research. the reward money should be sufficient impetus for someone to come forward with information about the robbery

Recent Examples on the Web Reaching for practices that lift him up in small amount of time has been helpful for him and was the impetus behind designing these short, manageable meditations for others. —

Jennifer Fields, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2022 The timing is notable because Paxton — who is in the midst of a contentious re-election campaign against a fellow Republican — was also the impetus behind the state’s recent decision to target the families of transgender children. —

Dallas News, 18 Mar. 2022 Their success was the impetus for the push at BU, said Betsko. —

Diti Kohli, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Feb. 2023 Per reports, Bündchen wanted Brady to spend more time with his three children, two of them teenagers, and that was the impetus for last year's retirement. —

Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2023 That was the impetus for the founding of Giffords, originally called Americans for Responsible Solutions, in January 2013. —

Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2023 The pine furniture throughout the space, but particularly the sweet antique sleigh bed, was the impetus for Knorr’s business. —

Chantal Lamers, House Beautiful, 30 Jan. 2023 When family fun is the impetus for the Atlantic City getaway, Club Wyndham is the ultimate option. —

Stacey Lastoe, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2023 Such a wild smashing scene would ordinarily be saved for a climax, but here it is presented to give impetus to the whole unfoldment. —

Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impetus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.