provocateur

[pruh-vok-uh-tur, -too r; French praw-vaw-ka-tœr]

See more synonyms for provocateur on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural pro·vo·ca·teurs

[pruh-vok-uh-turz, -too rz; French praw-vaw-ka-tœr] /prəˌvɒk əˈtɜrz, -ˈtʊərz; French prɔ vɔ kaˈtœr/.

a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.
(italics) French. agent provocateur.

Origin of provocateur

1915–20; < French < Latin prōvocātor challenger, appellant, equivalent to provocā(re) to provoke + -tor -tor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for provocateur

ringleader, malcontent, reactionary, radical, firebrand, demagogue, propagandist, zealot, anarchist, troublemaker, leftist, meddler, knave, rabble-rouser, punk, incendiary, inciter, agitator, mischief-maker, hellion

Examples from the Web for provocateur

Contemporary Examples of provocateur

Lars von Trier, the terribly talented Danish provocateur, is quite a character.
Lars von Trier Breaks His Vow of Silence to Discuss ‘Nymphomaniac’ in Venice
Marlow Stern
September 1, 2014
These are the works of Ralph Steadman, legendary artist and provocateur.
The Gonzo Artist: Behind Ralph Steadman’s Most Famous Work
Alex Suskind
April 27, 2014
DONETSK, Ukraine—He reaches into his pocket to pull out a Ukrainian passport and opens it to prove he is no Russian provocateur.
Soccer Hooligans Prep Ukraine for Putin
Jamie Dettmer
March 20, 2014
But if Correa has the provocateur's teeth, it's unclear whether he has the stomach for the part.
Ecuador Needs U.S. Aid. Will They Risk It All with Snowden?
Mac Margolis
June 26, 2013
So, it may surprise you to hear that talk-radio host and provocateur extraordinaire Mark Levin and I are in agreement.
Why Conservatives Should Be Rooting for Defense Cuts
Mark McKinnon
January 20, 2013

Historical Examples of provocateur

The Whites put up a provocateur as before a pogrom in Russia.
The Soul of John Brown
Stephen Graham
The provocateur is rewarded with greater liberty and special privileges.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist
Alexander Berkman
A few detectives had also managed to find their way here, and there was even one provocateur.
The Created Legend
Feodor Sologub
You had to point out to them several times that it was Oswald who was the Castro provocateur, so to say, and not you?
Warren Commission (10 of 26): Hearings Vol. X (of 15)
The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
The tricked boys now swear vengeance upon the provocateur, but "Dutch" is missing from the range.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist
Alexander Berkman

British Dictionary definitions for provocateur

provocateur

noun

a person who deliberately behaves controversially in order to provoke argument or other strong reactions

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for provocateur

1915 (Emma Goldman), shortened form of agent provocateur "person hired to make trouble" (1845), from French provocateur, from Latin provocator "challenger," from provocare "to call out" (see provoke).