stimulus

A stimulus is something that prompts someone or something to do or feel something.

In everyday life, we often talk about economic stimuli – policies or events that help an economy grow. For example, a government might lower taxes as a way to stimulate spending and boost business. This means they're trying to get people and companies to invest money and create jobs. Sometimes, a stimulus can be a change in the weather – like a warm day that prompts people to go out and exercise. In science, researchers use stimuli to encourage reactions or behaviors from subjects – like using light or sound to trigger an experiment. The key idea is that something external triggers a response from someone or something else.