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
- nonprovocation noun
- overprovocation noun
- preprovocation noun
- provocational adjective
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; -ate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion
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.
At the end of March, US Vice President JD Vance made an uninvited visit to Greenland that was widely seen as a provocation both on the island and in Copenhagen.
From Barron's
"I never ever do this as a provocation," said the 53-year-old.
From BBC
Algorithms engineered for sameness and profit have effectively sidelined provocation.
From Los Angeles Times
The official added that the Japanese aircraft "did not do anything that could be considered a provocation".
From BBC
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev called for an end to the violence, which he dismissed as a "provocation by the mafia", and urged everyone to obey the law.
From BBC
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.
