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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."
Synonyms
Examples of provocateur in a Sentence
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 24 June 2024
There’s also Preston Utley, a privileged anti-capitalist provocateur who is feuding with his professor, political painter Robert Berger.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024
Steve Bannon, the relentless right-wing operator and provocateur who’s dedicated his career to advancing the cause of an American version of fascism, has been ordered by a federal judge to serve out his four-month prison conviction.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 June 2024
Peaceful demonstrations were hijacked by provocateurs and criminals who were determined to turn a call for justice for George Floyd into an excuse to loot and burn.
—Larry Snelling, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocateur 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provocateur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near provocateur
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocateur. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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