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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."
Examples of provocateur in a Sentence
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2025
The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration.
—Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
What started in Washington in 2015 as a Congressional bloc, led by provocateurs like Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, has radiated into the states, inspiring similar movements in a dozen legislatures, including in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Idaho and Arizona.
—Will Warasila, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
There are these cliché observations about Bob: Bob the mysterious enigma, Bob the playful provocateur.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocateur. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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