Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

impetus

/ˈɪm.pə.təs/ noun

Latin root: impetus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about impetus at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A force that moves something along.
The act of applying force suddenly.
the impulse knocked him over

Origin

Borrowed from Latin impetus (“a rushing upon, an attack, assault, onset”), from impetō (“to rush upon, attack”), from in- (“upon”) + petō (“to seek, fall upon”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word