Etymology Map
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Impetus

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the force that makes something happen or move

Where does the word "impetus" come from? It comes from Latin impetus, passing through Medieval Latin before entering English (1640s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
impetus
Latin · ancient
"attack, force"
an attack or rush, from 'impetere', to assail
2
Stage 2 of 3
impetus
Medieval Latin · 1300s
"moving force"
the Paris philosopher Jean Buridan used it for the force that keeps a thrown object moving
3
Stage 3 of 3
impetus
English · 1640s
"driving force"
borrowed into English science, and later for any driving force
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Read the full story

Impetus’s story begins in Latin: impetus meant “attack, force.” An attack or rush, from 'impetere', to assail. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as impetus. The Paris philosopher Jean Buridan used it for the force that keeps a thrown object moving. It reached English by 1640s as impetus. Borrowed into English science, and later for any driving force. Today, impetus means the force that makes something happen or move.