provocation
Americannoun
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the act of provoking.
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something that incites, instigates, angers, or irritates.
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Criminal Law. words or conduct leading to killing in hot passion and without deliberation.
noun
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the act of provoking or inciting
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something that causes indignation, anger, etc
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English criminal law words or conduct that incite a person to attack another
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of provocation
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin prōvocātiōn- (stem of prōvocātiō ) a calling forth, equivalent to prōvocāt ( us ) (past participle of prōvocāre to provoke; see -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A provocation makes someone angry or sometimes even violent. Telling a professional boxer how ugly he is would be considered a provocation — one that might get you punched in the face. Provocation is the act of provoking someone — doing something just to get a reaction. During election season, opponents sometimes use provocation to try to ruin one another's reputation. However, sometimes it backfires and the one doing the provoking, looking like a bully, loses votes. Some celebrities whose stars are fading use provocation like making scandalous statements to try to keep their names in the headlines.
Vocabulary lists containing provocation
"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The Call of the Wild
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This Week in Words: September 10 - 16, 2017
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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.
What they lacked was confidence that those results would be received as anything other than a provocation, with their motives impugned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
"This is a message that Pyongyang is closely watching the upcoming drills and could stage a provocation if it deems one necessary."
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Fashion has a long history of turning provocation, rebellion and even criticism of the industry itself into something desirable — and expensive.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
Finally, we offer this series as a provocation: So many of you have spent the past year attending No Kings protests, at which you embodied, physically, what it means to reject monarchical power.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
But it was a powerful force for me, especially at fourteen, with my nerves bright and jangling, ready to launch into a symphony at the slightest provocation.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
