1965–70; shortened from French provocateur provocateur
First recorded in 1970–75; prov(isional) + -o
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The county health department in Provo, Utah, told Aubrey Johnson, 28 years old, that her newborn might have been exposed to measles at her pediatrician’s office around Thanksgiving, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
The company will process the minerals at its manufacturing facility nearby in Provo, Utah.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
On a recent Sunday morning in Provo, Utah, a small congregation of about two dozen people gathered in a church hall for ward services.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025
Charlie Kirk’s plane took Erika to Provo, where she insisted on seeing her husband’s body.
From Salon • Sep. 21, 2025
A day earlier, Reggie had been sitting in a classroom in Provo at the Missionary Training Center.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
