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
Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 3 July 2025
Deeply distrustful, the protest organizers feared that outside provocateurs would turn peaceful demonstrations ugly.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Amongst the snippets posted to Dior’s official account was a film photo of ‘80s New York art icon and provocateur painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as American socialite and sister of Jackie Kennedy, Lee Radziwill.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 24 June 2025
Conservative provocateur Laura Loomer, who has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, called him out over the weekend as the White House prepares to receive a $400 million Boeing jet from the Qatari government.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 12 May 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 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share