provocation
Americannoun
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the act of provoking.
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something that incites, instigates, angers, or irritates.
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Criminal Law. words or conduct leading to killing in hot passion and without deliberation.
noun
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the act of provoking or inciting
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something that causes indignation, anger, etc
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English criminal law words or conduct that incite a person to attack another
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of provocation
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin prōvocātiōn- (stem of prōvocātiō ) a calling forth, equivalent to prōvocāt ( us ) (past participle of prōvocāre to provoke; see -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A provocation makes someone angry or sometimes even violent. Telling a professional boxer how ugly he is would be considered a provocation — one that might get you punched in the face. Provocation is the act of provoking someone — doing something just to get a reaction. During election season, opponents sometimes use provocation to try to ruin one another's reputation. However, sometimes it backfires and the one doing the provoking, looking like a bully, loses votes. Some celebrities whose stars are fading use provocation like making scandalous statements to try to keep their names in the headlines.
Vocabulary lists containing provocation
"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The Call of the Wild
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This Week in Words: September 10 - 16, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Thousands took part in Tuesday's demonstration following a week of action that President Claudia Sheinbaum has called a "provocation."
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
A painter who early on shifted into conceptual provocation with his ‘Readymades’—including, infamously, a urinal—the French artist gets his first retrospective in the U.S. in more than 50 years.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
That said, a few words readily available would help connect the dots without undermining the provocation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
There was no sign of violence when at least 100,000 Hungarians attended an anti-Fidesz concert in Heroes' Square on Friday night, and Magyar warned people "not to fall for any kind of provocation".
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
She grew irritable and short-tempered, and any slight provocation made her explode in anger.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
