excitement English · revision 7021

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=early 15th century}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[excite]] and [[-ment]].^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Encouragement: the early 15th century in Etymonline; the action of exciting, late Middle English and rare, in SOED.^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Something that tends to excite, a motive or incentive, is from 1604,^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024) the sense in Johnson's Dictionary (1755), which quotes Shakespeare's ''excitements of my reason and my blood''.^(Johnson 1755) In medicine, abnormal activity in an organ is from 1788.^(OED 1989) The condition of mental and emotional agitation, the modern sense, is from 1846.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * early 15th century – encouragement.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1604 – an incentive.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1788 – abnormal activity in an organ.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1846 – emotional agitation.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something that excites; an exciting event.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The state of being stirred up or [[agitation|alt=agitated]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[hyperexcitement]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[excite]]

+ * [[exciting]]

+ * [[excitable]]

+ * [[cite]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}