provocation

noun

prov·​o·​ca·​tion ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act of provoking : incitement

2

: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates

Synonyms of provocation

• excitement
• stimulus
• encouragement
• stimulation
• motivation

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

The man who punched a woman walking on a sidewalk without provocation in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood last week has been jailed and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, court documents show. — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026

This is the laziest kind of provocation, and The Shards can’t even manage to really go there. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

Mungiu refuses to supply easy answers or simple paths to identification in this compelling provocation, which poses unresolvable questions to viewers about our biases and presumptions. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

Yet snakes rarely attack humans without provocation, and many deaths can be prevented through education, protective footwear, accessible antivenom, and faster medical treatment. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English provocacioun, from Anglo-French provocacion, from Latin provocation-, provocatio, from provocare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for provocation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids 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