impetus
noun
im·pe·tus
ˈim-pə-təs 
1
2
: 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
Did you know?
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").
Synonyms
Examples of impetus in a Sentence
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
This existing strong footprint in Vietnam was the impetus for Hansae’s merger with C&T, a move that expanded its operations there to fabric manufacturing and heightened the level of verticalization within its supply chain.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 19 Dec. 2024
The sweeping offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS) – with its impetus, equipment and inclusive communications strategy, telling Syria’s disparate and panicked ethnic groups their new society would view them all as one – spoke of a sophisticated hand behind it.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
RealPage has been a greater impetus for all of the actions.
—Calmatters, Orange County Register, 4 Dec. 2024
The museum's launch, in 2003, was the first major impetus for the emergence of a robust new Bahamas art scene tackling issues of race, gender, and postcolonial identity.
—Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impetus 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dictionary Entries Near impetus
Cite this Entry
“Impetus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impetus. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
impetus
noun
im·pe·tus
ˈim-pət-əs
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share