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
When Napoleon insists on Antonin serving a dessert in the form of a pyramid — a bald-faced invocation of the war between France and England, and a provocation to the English ambassador, who is theoretically the guest of honor — Antonin duly wheels one into the dining room.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 2025
The simulation was designed to create complex and hostile negotiating conditions, including U.S. provocations on nontrade issues, such as the status of Greenland and the sovereignty of Canada.
—Emily Kilcrease, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2025
Educators’ suspicion of artificial intelligence is well-warranted because AI is an epistemological provocation wrapped in a tech advance.
—Michael Serazio, Time, 28 May 2025
In his election victory speech, Carney warned that Canada would never yield to Trump’s relentless provocations.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocation
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Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 2025
The simulation was designed to create complex and hostile negotiating conditions, including U.S. provocations on nontrade issues, such as the status of Greenland and the sovereignty of Canada.
—Emily Kilcrease, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2025
Educators’ suspicion of artificial intelligence is well-warranted because AI is an epistemological provocation wrapped in a tech advance.
—Michael Serazio, Time, 28 May 2025
In his election victory speech, Carney warned that Canada would never yield to Trump’s relentless provocations.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
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 Jun. 2025.
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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