incite

verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

transitive verb

: to move to action : stir up : spur on : urge on

incitant

in-ˈsī-tᵊnt 

noun

incitement

in-ˈsīt-mənt 

noun

inciter noun

Synonyms

• abet
• brew
• ferment
• foment
• instigate
• pick
• provoke
• raise
• stir (up)
• whip (up)

Choose the Right Synonym for incite

incite, instigate, abet, foment mean to spur to action.

incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating.

inciting a riot

instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention.

instigated a conspiracy

abet implies both assisting and encouraging.

aiding and abetting the enemy

foment implies persistence in goading.

fomenting rebellion

Examples of incite in a Sentence

The news incited widespread fear and paranoia.

the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

With the widespread medical advice advocating protective measures against UV radiation to ward against this, the view incited considerable backlash. —Henry Flynn, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

The Algerian boxer incited mass controversy by competing as a woman in the Paris Olympics despite allegedly being born with the XY chromosomes, which are associated with males. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024

The peaceful protests of the Arab Spring in 2011 were met with harsh responses by al-Assad’s government, inciting an uprising across the country. —Juliann Ventura, The Hill, 7 Dec. 2024

Words written on the shell casings found at the scene may offer hints about what incited the shooter. —Hugh Son, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French inciter, from Latin incitare, from in- + citare to put in motion — more at cite

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

incite

verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

: to move to action : stir up

inciter noun

Medical Definition

incite

transitive verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

: to bring into being : induce to exist or occur

organisms that readily incited antibody formation

Legal Definition

incite

transitive verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

: to urge on

incite a riot

incitement noun