incite
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Related Words
Incite, rouse, provoke, inflame are verbs meaning to goad or inspire an individual or a group to take some action or to express some feeling. Incite and rouse are similar in that, although they can imply in some contexts abrasive or inflammatory arousal of violent or uncontrolled behavior, neither necessarily does so. Incite means simply to induce activity, of whatever kind: incited to greater effort by encouragement; incited to riot. Rouse has an underlying sense of awakening: to rouse the apathetic soldiers to a determination to win; to rouse the inattentive public to an awareness of the danger. Provoke implies a sense of challenge or irritation along with arousal and often suggests a resultant anger or violence: provoked by scathing references to his accomplishments; to provoke a wave of resentment. Inflame, with its root sense to set afire, implies a resultant intensity and passion: to inflame a mob by fiery speeches; He was inflamed to rage by constant frustration.
Other Word Forms
- incitable adjective
- incitant adjective
- incitation noun
- incitement noun
- inciter noun
- incitingly adverb
- reincite verb (used with object)
- unincited adjective
Etymology
Origin of incite
First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin incitāre, from in- in- 2 + citāre “to move repeatedly, set in motion, summon” ( cite 1 )
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.
"Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society."
From Barron's
Curiously, this was not a prevailing gripe about “Frankenstein,” despite del Toro changing the ending, altering the inciting events of the Creature’s creation and adding new characters while changing the textual behavior of key others.
From Salon
For now, the White House is giving priority to stability, moving to sideline policy decisions that could incite retaliation from China or derail the summit.
The suggestion is that rates are very close to what is known as their neutral level - neither high enough to tame inflation pressures or low enough to incite them.
From BBC
Mr. Ho, former chairman of the group behind the annual Tiananmen vigil, is in poor health and has pleaded guilty to inciting subversion.
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.
