impetus
Say it: IM-pih-tus /ˈɪmpɪtəs/ · noun
What “impetus” means
The push that makes something start happening.
More precisely: The force or motivation that makes something happen.
Example: “A health scare was the impetus he needed to quit smoking.”
When to use it
For an event or motivation that gets action started, usually in fairly formal descriptions of change or progress.
Similar words
motivation, stimulus, spur
Where it comes from
From Latin impetus, "attack, force."
Quick check
After seeing litter harm a duck's nest, you finally organise the pond clean-up. That experience provides the…
impetus or obstacle?
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impetus
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