provocateur

[ pruh-vok-uh-tur, -toor; French praw-vaw-ka-tœr ]
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noun,plural pro·vo·ca·teurs [pruh-vok-uh-turz, -toorz; French praw-vaw-ka-tœr]. /prəˌvɒk əˈtɜrz, -ˈtʊərz; French prɔ vɔ kaˈtœr/.
  1. a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.

  2. (italics)French. agent provocateur.

Origin of provocateur

1
1915–20; <French <Latin prōvocātor challenger, appellant, equivalent to provocā(re) to provoke + -tor-tor

Words Nearby provocateur

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use provocateur in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for provocateur

provocateur

/ (prəˌvɒkəˈtɜː) /


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

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