provocateur

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

noun

, plural pro·vo·ca·teurs [pr, uh, -vok-, uh, -, turz, -, toorz, p, r, aw-vaw-k, a, -, tœr].

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

provocateur

/ prəˌvɒkəˈtɜː /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of provocateur¹

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

Example Sentences

This is a newsletter about the things I can’t stop thinking about, and this week it’s the brilliant Craig Jenkins column in Vulture that debates Chappelle’s role as a cultural provocateur—especially in context of this new special.

From The Daily Beast

It’s a clear distinction between Substack, which is often associated with bomb-throwers like Glenn Greenwald, and Facebook itself, where conservative provocateurs like Ben Shapiro, Dan Bongino, and Sean Hannity thrive.

From Vox

Before she was in Congress, Greene was an online conservative provocateur and shared or liked posts that included threats of violence against Democratic politicians.

From Washington Post

Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio provocateur and cultural phenomenon, dies at 70Limbaugh’s tenure would last less than a month.

From Washington Post

Conservative provocateurs have mastered the art of getting attention and amplifying opinions on the very social networks they so roundly criticize.

From Washington Post

Nonetheless, the pop provocateur that soap fans know by the mononym “Franco” has decided to unpack it.

From The Daily Beast

Lars von Trier, the terribly talented Danish provocateur, is quite a character.

From The Daily Beast

These are the works of Ralph Steadman, legendary artist and provocateur.

From The Daily Beast

DONETSK, Ukraine—He reaches into his pocket to pull out a Ukrainian passport and opens it to prove he is no Russian provocateur.

From The Daily Beast

A harder-than-hard-core conservative and professional provocateur, Peterson is an equal-opportunity offender.

From The Daily Beast

The Whites put up a provocateur as before a pogrom in Russia.

From Project Gutenberg

I was looking about to find the German agent provocateur, but I failed to find him.

From Project Gutenberg

That is why one was never sure that the stranger who denounced Rasputin and his friends was not an agent-provocateur.

From Project Gutenberg

More than once the charge of being a provocateur was leveled at Lenine and at Trotzky, but without justification, apparently.

From Project Gutenberg

My answer was that a study of many labor cases had taught me the methods of the agent provocateur.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• anarchist
• demagogue
• firebrand
• malcontent
• propagandist
• protestor
• radical
• troublemaker
• zealot