provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən 
1
: the act of provoking : incitement
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
Examples of provocation in a Sentence
He can turn violent at the least provocation.
Her calmness in the face of repeated provocations impressed her friends.
With hardly any provocation, the crowd began to chant.
Recent Examples on the Web
The forty-three-year gap between provocation and retaliation is a void between cause and effect into which all temporal logic vanishes.
—
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 13 Mar. 2026
The civil lawsuit alleges that Odeh assaulted her son without justification or provocation.
—Hope Moses, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Authorities say video indicates Wolf opened fire without provocation.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
They were sprayed without any warning or apparent provocation.
—Bob Ortega, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
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Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 13 Mar. 2026
The civil lawsuit alleges that Odeh assaulted her son without justification or provocation.
—Hope Moses, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Authorities say video indicates Wolf opened fire without provocation.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
They were sprayed without any warning or apparent provocation.
—Bob Ortega, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocation. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes
Medical Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
: the act or process of provoking
a nonspecific irritant that brings about provocation of bronchial asthma
Legal Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
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