instigator

American  

[in-sti-gey-ter] / ˈɪn stɪˌgeɪ tər /

Rarely instigant

noun

1. a person or thing that provokes or incites an action or course: Plays to be performed at the festival focus on a theme of how youth can be the instigators of positive change.

   Peaceful protesters outnumbered the violent instigators, and they kept the demonstration from becoming a riot.

   Plays to be performed at the festival focus on a theme of how youth can be the instigators of positive change.

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Etymology

Origin of instigator

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin instigātor, equivalent to instigāt(us) + -or -or ² ( def. ); see instigate ( def. )

Example Sentences

It’s not clear who was the instigator when, several months ago, Amanda Ponce got into an altercation with a fellow resident at a Boyle Heights homeless housing site.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

According to their coach, Romain Haguenauer, this change of music was the result of behind-the-scenes manipulation -- the instigator allegedly an American judge, a compatriot of Chock and Bates.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

When Thorne first read the book, lead character Jack, instigator of hunts on the island, was the "epitome of evil".

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

"It potentially acts as an instigator of early Alzheimer's pathology."

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2025

Helen, once a peripheral figure in these discussions, became the epicenter, instigator, and protagonist.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

Related Words

• ringleader