unprovoked
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something that's unprovoked is done for no good reason, with no real cause. A slap across your face is unprovoked if you did nothing to make the slapper mad at you. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously described the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, which brought the US into World War II, as "unprovoked and dastardly." A military action that isn't reacting against a previous attack is unprovoked, and a furious outburst from your friend is also unprovoked if you gave him no reason to be angry. Unprovoked comes from the verb provoke, to deliberately incite anger or annoyance in someone. The Latin root is provocare, "call forth or challenge."
Vocabulary lists containing unprovoked
Hoot
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Dear Martin
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Purple Hibiscus
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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.
The legal system treated Fraser as a victim, a man simply defending himself from an unprovoked attack.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Sonowal condemned the "unprovoked attack" and said steps would be taken to ensure the safety of seafarers in the region.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
In contrast, Pope Leo XIV has denounced war, especially unprovoked wars.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
The suspect approached the woman unprovoked while she was inside the store shopping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026
This look was so unexpected and so unprovoked I was taken aback.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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.
