impetus
pronunciation
How to pronounce impetus in British English:
UK [ˈɪmpɪtəs]
How to pronounce impetus in American English:
US [ˈɪmpɪtəs]
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- Noun:
- a force that moves something along
- the act of applying force suddenly
Word Origin
- impetus (n.)
- early 15c., impetous "rapid movement, rush;" 1640s, with modern spelling, "force with which a body moves, driving force," from Latin impetus "attack, assault, onset, impulse, violence, vigor, force, passion," related to impetere "to attack," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + petere "aim for, rush at" (see petition (n.)).
Example
- 1. This is the basic impetus to build such system .
- 2. On security grounds , the impetus may be justified .
- 3. That impetus is likely to intensify , as debt headaches mount .
- 4. It gained impetus this year when the finance ministry abandoned years of tinkering to publish pioneering accounting rules modelled on international norms .
- 5. Such an insight could give market economic reforms new impetus .