incendiary

[ in-sen-dee-er-ee ]

/ ɪnˈsɛn diˌɛr i /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR incendiary ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

used or adapted for setting property on fire: incendiary bombs.

of or relating to the criminal setting on fire of property.

tending to arouse strife, sedition, etc.; inflammatory: incendiary speeches.

tending to inflame the senses: an incendiary extravaganza of music and dance.

noun, plural in·cen·di·ar·ies.

a person who deliberately sets fire to buildings or other property, as an arsonist.

Military. a shell, bomb, or grenade containing napalm, thermite, or some other substance that burns with an intense heat.

a person who stirs up strife, sedition, etc.; an agitator.

Words nearby incendiary

incase, incaution, incautious, ince, incendiarism, incendiary, incense, incense cedar, incense tree, incensory, incenter

Origin of incendiary

1600–10; < Latin incendiārius, equivalent to incendi(um) a fire (incend(ere) to kindle (in- in-² + -cendere, transitive v. from base of candēre to shine, be hot; see candent, candid, candor) + -ium -ium) + -ārius -ary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for incendiary

The Wolf of Wall Street is a dangerous, incendiary work of art.
Coffee Talk with Ethan Hawke: On ‘Boyhood,’ Jennifer Lawrence, and Bill Clinton’s Urinal Exchange|Marlow Stern|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And social media in general has been blamed for making an incendiary situation in the Middle East even more tense.
Grindr and Tinder Help the Holy Land Make Love, Not War|Gideon Resnick|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Does Israel offer up any facts to fortify his incendiary charge?
Cynical Race-Baiting Will Fail to Save the Democrats|Ron Christie|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now 84, Rice joined the order when she was a teenager and has been an incendiary member of the social justice movement ever since.
The Nuclear Nun Goes to Jail|Lizzie Crocker|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He was an incendiary, anti-Semitic ideologue whose silencing poses no threat to real freedom of speech.
The French Were Right to Ban Dieudonné’s Offensive ‘Performance Art’|Bernard-Henri Lévy|January 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the head of the incendiary movement was the Maharani, the wife of the late and mother of the present infant king.
The Story of the Guides|G. J. Younghusband
For instance, incendiary bombs have been thrown with success in certain instances.
Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War|Frederick A. Talbot
Elections were preceded by political meetings, often incendiary in character, which all ones servants must attend.
Dixie After the War|Myrta Lockett Avary
A great cry was raised against them as dangerous and incendiary fanatics.
Martin Van Buren|Edward M. Shepard
But how do you suppose the fire could have originated, if it was not an incendiary one?
Roland Graeme: Knight|Agnes Maule Machar

British Dictionary definitions for incendiary

incendiary

/ (ɪnˈsɛndɪərɪ) /

adjective

of or relating to the illegal burning of property, goods, etc

tending to create strife, violence, etc; inflammatory

(of a substance) capable of catching fire, causing fires, or burning readily

noun plural -aries

a person who illegally sets fire to property, goods, etc; arsonist

(esp formerly) a person who stirs up civil strife, violence, etc, for political reasons; agitator

Also called: incendiary bomb a bomb that is designed to start fires

an incendiary substance, such as phosphorus

Word Origin for incendiary

C17: from Latin incendiārius setting alight, from incendium fire, from incendere to kindle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

incendiary

adjective

noun, plural in·cen·di·ar·ies.

Words related to incendiary

Words nearby incendiary

Origin of incendiary

Examples from the Web for incendiary

British Dictionary definitions for incendiary

adjective

noun plural -aries

Word Origin for incendiary