incite

verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt 

incited; inciting

transitive verb

: to move to action : stir up : spur on : urge on

incitant

in-ˈsī-tᵊnt 

noun

incitement

in-ˈsīt-mənt 

noun

inciter noun

Synonyms

• abet
• brew
• ferment
• foment
• instigate
• pick
• provoke
• raise
• stir (up)
• whip (up)

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

Jurickson Profar should be fined by MLB for this inflammatory conduct because of its propensity for inciting exactly what occurred. —Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024

The cultural historical echoes — an unruly mob out for blood, incited by a transgressive Black man — were impossible to miss. —Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024

In 2021, after the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, Twitter banned Trump’s account for inciting violence and also took down other accounts that repeated similar claims. —Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 10 Oct. 2024

Cheney, the conservative former congresswoman, blasted Trump for trying to overturn the election in 2020 and for inciting a mob to attack the Capitol in 2020. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2024

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 above

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