provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən 
1
: the act of provoking : incitement
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
Examples of provocation in a Sentence
He can turn violent at the least provocation.
Her calmness in the face of repeated provocations impressed her friends.
With hardly any provocation, the crowd began to chant.
Recent Examples on the Web
Before Judge Rivanda Doss Beal for a Saturday detention hearing, prosecutors detailed how the victim sat on the trunk of his vehicle chatting with friends when Carroll and two others approached the group and opened fire without any apparent provocation or words exchanged.
—
William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Over the ensuing years, Ben-Gvir continued his provocations.
—Avi Issacharoff, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
The component parts include herself, a fashionable, high-ish brow, and maybe trashy auteur (Abel Ferrara, Olivier Assayas, Catherine Breillat, her own dad), a strong genre element, and dabs of very deliberate provocation.
—David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Mamdani’s April 14 video—posted to social media on Tax Day and filmed outside Griffin’s Central Park South penthouse—was a deliberate provocation.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
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William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Over the ensuing years, Ben-Gvir continued his provocations.
—Avi Issacharoff, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
The component parts include herself, a fashionable, high-ish brow, and maybe trashy auteur (Abel Ferrara, Olivier Assayas, Catherine Breillat, her own dad), a strong genre element, and dabs of very deliberate provocation.
—David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Mamdani’s April 14 video—posted to social media on Tax Day and filmed outside Griffin’s Central Park South penthouse—was a deliberate provocation.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocation. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes
Medical Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
: the act or process of provoking
a nonspecific irritant that brings about provocation of bronchial asthma
Legal Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
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