incendiary

noun in·cen·di·ary \ in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē ; -ˈsen-də-rē , -dyə- \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of incendiary

plural incendiaries

1 a : a person who commits arson : arsonist

b : a substance or weapon (such as a bomb) used to start fires

2 : a person who excites factions, quarrels, or sedition : agitator

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Examples of incendiary in a Sentence

He was convinced that the arsonist was not at all what the town imagined: not brazen, but callow; not an expert incendiary noiselessly plying deer paths, but someone who was driving right up to his targets and fumbling with matches … —Barry Werth, New England Monthly, February 1989
White phosphorus, an incendiary, is normally packed in thin-walled casings; the casing is effective for dispersing chemical agents as well. —Stephen Budiansky, Nature, 5–11 Apr. 1984
The British had also made jellied gasoline with rubber, and it was generally recognized to be an excellent incendiary because of its easy ignition, high heat of combustion, and controlled burning rate. —B. & F. M. Brodie, From Crossbow to H-Bomb, 1973
firefighters caught the incendiary, who was watching the effects of his handiwork
blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government

Recent Examples of incendiary from the Web

Among the authors were right-wing incendiaries like Michael Savage, Mark Levin and Ann Coulter.

— john sharp, AL.com, "How an Alabama classroom and a right-wing reading list put a fresh rip in America's partisan divide," 4 Feb. 2018
White phosphorus, along with other incendiaries, has been used by Syrian government forces battling insurgents in Aleppo and elsewhere.

— anne barnard, New York Times, "U.S.-Led Forces Said to Have Used White Phosphorus in Syria," 10 June 2017
The bombardier dropped four incendiaries, setting the factory ablaze.

— National Geographic, "Trained in Secret, These Fearless Pilots Retaliated for Pearl Harbor," 15 Apr. 2017
But incendiaries, barrel bombs and missiles can do just as much damage to civilians as gas — which Assad didn’t necessarily use or intend to use in the future, anyway.

— leonid bershidsky, The Denver Post, "Trump’s missiles hit U.S. critics, not Assad," 22 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incendiary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of incendiary

Middle English, from Latin incendiarius, from incendium conflagration, from incendere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

incendiary Synonyms

Synonyms

agitator, demagogue (also demagog), exciter, firebrand, fomenter, inciter, instigator, kindler, provocateur, rabble-rouser;

Near Antonyms

peacemaker, reconciler, uniter;

advocate, apostle, backer, booster, champion, exponent, persuader, promoter, proponent, reformer, reformist, supporter;

alarmist, extremist, insurgent, insurrectionist, radical, rebel, revolter, revolutionary, revolutionist, subversive, troublemaker;

prodder, prompter, provoker;

agent provocateur;

Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

automatic, carbine, cudgel, muzzle, rapier

incendiary

adjective in·cen·di·ary \ in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē ; -ˈsen-də-rē , -dyə- \

Definition of incendiary

1 : of, relating to, or involving arson : arsonous

2 : tending to excite or inflame : inflammatory

incendiary speeches

3 a : igniting combustible materials spontaneously

b : of, relating to, or being a weapon (such as a bomb) designed to start fires

4 : extremely hot

incendiary chili peppers

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Examples of incendiary in a Sentence

While visual effects experts work with images, mechanical effects experts work with machinery, tools, incendiary devices, and other equipment to manipulate physical events during live-action filming. —Patricia D. Netzley, Encyclopedia of Movie Special Effects, 2000
In the mid-Eighties, heavy-metal music was the incendiary genre being demonized … —Alan Light, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 1993
The only caveat … is to know one's own sensitivity to chili pepper heat. If a small or moderate dose of capsicum (the incendiary chemical component in chilies) makes you dash for a glass of ice water, this menu is not going to be fun for you. —Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 15 Mar. 1991
The fire was started by an incendiary bomb.
recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions