incite
Americanverb (used with object)
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incites,
present (3rd person singular)
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incited,
past participle, past
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inciting
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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incitationnoun
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incitementnoun
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inciternoun
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reinciteverb (used with object)
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incitableadjective
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incitantadjective
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unincitedadjective
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incitinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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incitesimple
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incitessimple
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have incitedperfect
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has incitedperfect
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am incitingprogressive
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are incitingprogressive
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is incitingprogressive
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have been incitingperfect progressive
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has been incitingperfect progressive
Past
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incitedsimple
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had incitedperfect
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was incitingprogressive
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were incitingprogressive
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had been incitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of incite
First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin incitāre, from in- in- 2 + citāre “to move repeatedly, set in motion, summon” ( see cite 1)
Explanation
To incite is to cause to act or occur. Violent words can incite violent actions which, in turn, might incite public outcry against violence. Incite comes from a Latin verb meaning "to move into action" and if you incite someone to do something, that is exactly how to describe it. Usually it is used in a negative context. Radical and intolerant teachings can incite hatred in those who listen. And if a government restricts its people too much, it can incite unrest and rebellion in the population.
Vocabulary lists containing incite
Fahrenheit 451
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Some Tricky Homonyms
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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:
The 36-year-old was told not to post or incite comments on social media about that case or Miss Harrison, but did so multiple times in 2025 while she was pregnant.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Boll believes Germany “banned” the film by not assigning it an age rating, fearing it could incite violence, making it unfit for German theatrical release.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
She said it was infuriating that those opposed to rodeos would try to incite fear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
IPO mania has begun, and nothing kickstarts initial public offerings like spreadsheets flashing green to incite the crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
Tame by our standards, and as Coach said, it wasn’t likely to incite a religious war or anything since it contained a moral lesson.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
"Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society."
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
In Eugene: John Belushi’s character Bluto incites the famous “Animal House” food fight at the Erb Memorial Union cafeteria at the University of Oregon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
While the fruit incites revulsion at first, it eventually becomes an object of affection among the family portrayed in the film.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2024
Throughout the show, we watch a young man contend with rice as if it really is a rare metal, one that first brings great prosperity but soon incites competition and greed.
From New York Times ● Dec. 15, 2023
Usually, he ends up by discussing something far afield, an act which incites skepticism and suspicion in those anxious for a straight-out explanation.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
She never incited anger; she simply pointed out the facts as she saw them and let human nature take its course.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The measure bars or expels foreigners deemed to have "spread or incited hate messages" against the country or its people.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
While this push to redirect the country’s scientific research has incited alarm, reactions to interventions in the historical humanities have been more muted.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Authorities said the publications incited "hatred" against the territory's government, judiciary and law enforcement agencies.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
One of the husbands, possibly incited by the vicar, continually laid small charges against Norwood in court, causing him much exasperation and necessitating repeated trips across Bermuda to defend himself.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of treason for allegedly inciting the public to boycott elections last year.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Officially they were convicted under the national-security law for inciting subversion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Acme conspicuously sets the plot’s inciting actions in 1992—the same year Warner Bros. officially merged its entertainment operations with those of Time Inc., making for one of the largest media houses in the world.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
Some origin stories present trauma as an inciting moment that changes everything.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Spreading dissension and inciting to mutiny. Silver, you’re under arrest too, for failing to report to Toadflax this evening and causing your duty to devolve on a comrade. You’re both to come with me.”
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
