incite

verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

transitive verb

1

: to move (someone) to action : urge on

incited the crowd to violence

2

: to cause (a usually violent action or feeling) to occur

arrested for inciting a riot

incitant

in-ˈsī-tᵊnt 

noun

incitement

in-ˈsīt-mənt 

noun

inciter noun

Synonyms of incite

• provoke

Choose the Right Synonym for incite

incite, instigate, abet, foment mean to spur to action.

incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating.

inciting a riot

instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention.

instigated a conspiracy

abet implies both assisting and encouraging.

aiding and abetting the enemy

foment implies persistence in goading.

fomenting rebellion

Examples of incite in a Sentence

The news incited widespread fear and paranoia.

the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours

Recent Examples on the Web

Chow Hang-tung, a prominent young human rights lawyer who conducted her own defense, and former opposition lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan were found guilty of inciting subversion at West Kowloon Court on Friday. — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

His death-stare look and arm-claw mound demeanor incited a certain fear that was backed up by results. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were charged in September 2021 with inciting subversion and face a maximum jail term of 10 years if convicted. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

This is also the time of year when local sports talk radio shows flourish, inciting near-riots over how their team was shafted compared to others within their own conference. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French inciter, from Latin incitare, from in- + citare to put in motion — more at cite

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for incite

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

incite

verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

: to move to action : stir up

inciter noun

Medical Definition

incite

transitive verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

: to bring into being : induce to exist or occur

organisms that readily incited antibody formation

Legal Definition

incite

transitive verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

: to urge on

incite a riot

incitement noun