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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Impetus: Definition, Usage & Key Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：driving force (impetus)

impetus 🔊

/ˈɪmpɪtəs/

The push or encouragement that makes something start or move faster.

Impetus concept illustration: team motivated by a leader pointing to a growth chart.

driving force 🔊

➕

/ˈdraɪvɪŋ fɔːrs/

A factor or event that acts as a stimulus, giving energy, momentum, or encouragement to start something or to accelerate its progress. It is the initial push behind an action or movement.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'impetere' (to attack upon), combining 'in-' (upon) and 'petere' (to seek, aim at).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of IMPETUS as the 'IMPACT' that gets something going.

📖 Example

The government's new tax incentive provided a strong impetus for local businesses to invest in green technology. 🔊 The government's new tax incentive provided a strong driving force for local businesses to invest in green technology.

🔗 Collocations

give impetus to – to provide the initial energy or encouragement for something

provide an impetus – to supply the necessary push or motivation

gain impetus – to receive momentum or become more forceful

🔄 Synonyms

catalyst (n.) – An agent that provokes or speeds up a significant change or action.

stimulus (n.) – Something that encourages activity or growth.

motivation (n.) – The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

🚫 Antonyms

deterrent (n.) – A thing that discourages or prevents someone from acting.

hindrance (n.) – A thing that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction to something or someone.

obstacle (n.) – A thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress.

🌱 Derivatives

impetuous (adj.) – Acting or done quickly and without thought or care; impulsive.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'impetus' originates from the Latin for 'attack' or 'assault'. It entered English in the 17th century, initially describing a physical force of motion. Today, it is frequently used in business and policy contexts to describe the crucial push that launches a project or accelerates a trend.

Meaning 2：momentum (impetus)

impetus 🔊

/ˈɪmpɪtəs/

The physical force of a moving object that keeps it going.

momentum 🔊

➕

/məʊˈmentəm/

The property of a moving body that determines the length of time it will continue moving, based on its mass and velocity. It is the force that keeps an object in motion.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The bowling ball, once rolled, continued towards the pins under its own impetus. 🔊 The bowling ball, once rolled, continued towards the pins under its own momentum.

🔗 Collocations

under its own impetus – moving or continuing by the force of its own motion

lose impetus – to slow down as the initial force diminishes

🔄 Synonyms

momentum (n.) – The quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.

force (n.) – Strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement.

propulsion (n.) – The action of driving or pushing forward.

🚫 Antonyms

rest (n.) – A state of inactivity; cessation of motion.

stasis (n.) – A period or state of inactivity or equilibrium.

inertia (n.) – A tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged; in physics, resistance to change in motion.