impetus

impetus — noun

1. A force or influence that gives people a fresh reason to put extra effort into a

1.nounB2
Definition

A force or influence that gives people a fresh reason to put extra effort into an activity, or that helps a slow or stuck process begin to advance.

Example

The new government grant gave a fresh impetus to the town's small businesses.

collocation: give fresh impetus to

Hana's success in the science fair gave her classmates the impetus to start their own experiments.

impetus for [sb] to [verb] pattern

Common collocations
  • fresh impetus
  • new impetus
  • major impetus
  • impetus for change
  • give impetus to
  • provide impetus for
  • gain impetus
  • lose impetus
Synonyms
  • stimulus

    more direct and often used for immediate reactions; stronger biological or economic connotation

  • motivation

    more personal and internal; focuses on a person's own desire to act

  • encouragement

    warmer and more personal; usually involves positive emotional support from others

Antonyms
  • deterrent

    something that discourages or prevents action

Grammar Patterns

impetus + for + noun phrase

give/provide + impetus + to-infinitive

gain/lose + impetus

Usage Note

Frequently used with the verbs give, provide, gain, or lose. The subject is often an event, discovery, policy, or social trend rather than a person.

Common Mistakes

The bonus was an impetus for harder work.
The bonus was an incentive for harder work.
'impetus' describes a broad force that energises a process; 'incentive' is a specific reward aimed at changing behaviour.

2. The continuing force that keeps a moving object travelling in the same direction

2.nounB2
Definition

The continuing force that keeps a moving object travelling in the same direction, without any extra push.

Example

The rolling ball gained impetus as it raced down the steep hillside.

impetus of a moving physical object (gain + impetus)

Hamza pushed the swing harder, giving it enough impetus to reach the high branches.

Common collocations
  • gain impetus
  • carry impetus
  • impetus of a rolling object
Synonyms
  • momentum

    everyday equivalent; far more common in speech and informal writing

  • propulsion

    emphasises the act of pushing forward rather than the continuing force after the push stops

Grammar Patterns

impetus + carries + object + adverbial

gain + impetus

Usage Note

Mainly appears in formal, technical, or academic writing about physics. In everyday spoken English, the word momentum is far more common for this meaning.

Word family

  • impetuous
    adjectiveC1
  • impetuously
    adverbC1
  • impetuosity
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Impetus, stimulus, incentive, motivation, and encouragement all describe things that push people to act or work harder, but each highlights a different flavour of push. Impetus is a broad force that gets a process or trend moving again — it suggests momentum building, not just a single nudge. Stimulus is more external and immediate, common in economics or biology ('a stimulus package', 'a sensory stimulus'). Incentive is a concrete reward designed to make someone choose one option over another ('a cash incentive for early retirement'). Motivation comes from inside a person — their goals or interests — rather than from outside pressure. Encouragement is warmer and more personal; one person gives it to another through supportive words. For example, a government grant may be the impetus for a city to rebuild its port, but the workers still need personal motivation to learn the new skills.

stimulus ↗incentive ↗motivation ↗encouragement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • give impetus to
  • provide impetus for
  • gain impetus
  • lose impetus

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Impetus comes from the Latin word impetus, meaning 'attack, rush, or force.' It was formed from in- ('into, upon') and petere ('to go toward, attack'). The word entered English in the 15th century with its physical meaning ('force of a moving object'). Its more modern sense — a stimulus that encourages activity — developed during the 17th century and is now the more common use.