Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Language: Latin
Origin: impetere 'to attack', from petere 'to go to, look for'

impetus

 noun
     
Related topics: Physics
im‧pe‧tus [uncountable]
1 an influence that makes something happen or makes it happen more quickly
impetus for
The report may provide further impetus for reform.
The discovery gave fresh impetus to the research.
2 technical the force that makes an object start moving, or keeps it moving
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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