provocateur

noun

pro·vo·ca·teur prō-ˌvä-kə-ˈtər

Synonyms of provocateur next

: agent provocateur

: one who provokes

a political provocateur

Did you know?

In "provocateur," a word borrowed directly from French, one sees the English verb "provoke." Both "provoke" and "provocateur" derive from Latin provocare, meaning "to call forth." Why do we say "provocateur" for one who incites another to action, instead of simply "provoker"? Perhaps it's because of "agent provocateur," a term of French origin that literally means "provoking agent." Both "agent provocateur" and the shortened "provocateur" can refer to someone (such as an undercover police officer or a political operative) whose job is to incite people to break the law so that they can be arrested, but only "provocateur" is used in English with the more general sense of "one who provokes."

Examples of provocateur in a Sentence

a calculating provocateur, she has made a career out of controversy for its own sake

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

But an array of far-right provocateurs, from Andrew Tate to Tommy Robinson (the latter the founder of the now-defunct English Defence League), started blaming undocumented immigrants or linking the attacks to Islam. —

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2024 Although he’s always been a divisive figure, the author is now seen less as a provocateur and more as an out-of-touch misogynist. —

The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024 That’s exactly what Maurizio Cattelan, the artist and provocateur behind Comedian, intended. —

Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Maybe Lanthimos is just in step with his moment — a madman provocateur for an increasingly mad world. —

A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for provocateur