BharatNotes Impetus
noun (countable and uncountable)Usage in a UPSC answer
The Goods and Services Tax, for all its early frictions, gave fresh impetus to the project of fiscal federalism by compelling the Centre and the States to negotiate a common indirect-tax architecture through the GST Council.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
impetuous (adj), impetuously (adv), impetuosity (n), impetuousness (n)
Root
Latin impetus = assault, rapid motion; impetere = to attack; in- = upon + petere = to aim for, rush at
Etymology
From Latin impetus "an assault, attack, rapid motion, impulse, force," from impetere "to attack," from assimilated form of in- "into, upon" + petere "to aim for, rush at, seek." Entered English in the mid-17th century.
Memory Hook
Think "IMPET-us" → an "impetuous" person rushes forward; the shared Latin root petere ("to rush at") gives an IMPETUS its forward push — the thing that makes you rush ahead.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
The force or stimulus that drives something forward. It is a serviceable word in GS3 for describing what accelerated a trend, as in an impetus to formalisation or to digital payments. Like many such words it is strongest when the impetus is named and weakest when merely asserted, so an answer should identify the specific policy or event supplying the push.
Don’t Confuse It With
Impetus is the driving force behind movement. Momentum is the continuation of movement once under way. Catalyst accelerates a process without being consumed. Trigger initiates an event, usually suddenly.
Hindi Meaning
प्रेरणा (prernā) or गति (gati) in the sense of forward push.
Common Questions
- What does impetus mean?
- The force or stimulus that drives a process forward or causes it to accelerate.
- How is impetus different from momentum?
- Impetus is the push that starts or accelerates movement. Momentum is the continuation of that movement once it is already under way.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2015 — Disaster Management
- Mains 2020 · GS4 · 20 marks — Environmental Ethics
- Mains 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marks — Security
- Mains 2013 · GS2 · 10 marks — Social Justice
- Mains 2013 · GS3 · 10 marks — Security
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Impetus” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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