The word 促使 (cùshǐ) is a compound verb formed by combining two characters with related meanings: 促, which means "to urge" or "to hasten", and 使, which means "to cause" or "to make". Together, they create a synergistic meaning where 促 provides the sense of active encouragement or pressure, and 使 provides the sense of causation or effect. The resulting term 促使 thus means "to prompt", "to cause", or "to spur on", specifically describing the act of motivating or pressing someone or something to take action or bring about a particular result.