impetus

IPA/ˈɪmpɪtəs/
KK[ˈɪmpətəs]IPA/ˈɪmpɪtəs/

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

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.