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
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
Among them were also influencers, content creators and provocateurs who hoped to boost their online followings.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 July 2025
The mix of speakers includes professors, alt-right provocateurs and internet personalities.
—Meena Duerson, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Trump occupies the center of a movement, whereas Musk is a chief provocateur for that movement.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 6 June 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 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share