instigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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instigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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instigated,
past participle, past
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instigating
present participle
verb
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to bring about, as by incitement or urging
to instigate rebellion
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to urge on to some drastic or inadvisable action
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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instigationnoun
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instigatornoun
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instigativeadjective
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uninstigatedadjective
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uninstigativeadjective
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instigatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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instigatesimple
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instigatessimple
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have instigatedperfect
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has instigatedperfect
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am instigatingprogressive
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are instigatingprogressive
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is instigatingprogressive
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have been instigatingperfect progressive
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has been instigatingperfect progressive
Past
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instigatedsimple
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had instigatedperfect
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was instigatingprogressive
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were instigatingprogressive
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had been instigatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of instigate
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin instīgātus, past participle of instīgāre “to goad on, impel,” equivalent to in- “in” + -stīg- “to goad, prick” + -ātus past participle suffix; see in- 2, -ate 1; akin to stigma, stick 2
Explanation
When you instigate something, you start it, but the word carries conflict with it. If you are suspended for wearing a political t-shirt, the incident might instigate days of protest by students and faculty. Instigate comes from the Latin word instigare "to incite." People who are instigators often begin trouble but then back off and let others break the rules. If you instigate a food fight in the cafeteria, you might throw the first spoonful of mashed potatoes, but then you stop and let all the other students carry on the chaos. When something is instigated, the outcome tends to be unknown. The plan you instigate might not lead to the desired result.
Vocabulary lists containing instigate
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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.
See Examples For:
“You always hear, ‘Don’t poke the bear, don’t instigate them,’ but that’s not how you deal with a bully,” Soto-Martínez replied.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
"We are against all scenarios that aim to instigate a civil war in Iran, that target ethnic or religious fault lines," Fidan told journalists in Istanbul.
From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026
The force said it would "instigate investigations if directed by the courts and responsible authorities", adding: "As always, our thoughts are with Oki's family and friends who remain devastated by their loss."
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
Meo co-owner Tannis Ling, who spent many weekends in Chinatown with her family as a child, has helped instigate Chinatown’s resurgence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025
Did workers, too, ever instigate violence in pursuit of their cause?
From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell
He instigates them, and pedantically reminds her of the rules, but his surprise and irritation become conflagrations of rage as Fonsia wins hand after hand, remaining placid and mildly abashed at her luck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The gene proved very active in the habenula, a region of the cichlid’s brain that registers fear and instigates movement.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 24, 2024
For any adaptive behaviour associated with consciousness, there could be a nonconscious mechanism that instigates the same behaviour.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 7, 2023
Wombat, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge; she instigates Marion’s return to Indy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
It seems to be in the nature of biologic information that it not only stores itself up as energy but also instigates a search for more.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
In the most important Phase 3 trials, Zepbound’s highest dose instigated a 20.9% weight loss, while Wegovy’s produced a 14.9% weight loss.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Beijing said the Philippines instigated the incident by sending men in small rubber boats to approach their vessel.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
The review was instigated after letters to staff at the maternity unit, as well as "unusual actions" on the unit during a visit by healthcare inspectors.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
In some quarters this has instigated an unrealistic disappointment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Sachs finally gained entrance to the Oval Office on October 11, a few weeks after the Nazi invasion of Poland had instigated the European war.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
“It’s the first time that I’m properly going into the genre and embracing it and instigating that work,” Anderson says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Across the pond, the people most affected by the unrest, and its instigating events, are not having any of it.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
It all begins with a 2018 U.S. government assessment, instigating what I called a psychiatric moment for the news media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Paz's government accuses him of instigating the unrest.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
I was looking for other words for inciting and instigating work, and came upon “to egg on.”
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
