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In "provocateur," a word borrowed directly from French, one sees the English verb "provoke." Both "provoke" and "provocateur" derive from Latin provocare, meaning "to call forth." Why do we say "provocateur" for one who incites another to action, instead of simply "provoker"? Perhaps it's because of "agent provocateur," a term of French origin that literally means "provoking agent." Both "agent provocateur" and the shortened "provocateur" can refer to someone (such as an undercover police officer or a political operative) whose job is to incite people to break the law so that they can be arrested, but only "provocateur" is used in English with the more general sense of "one who provokes."
Examples of provocateur in a Sentence
Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 2 Aug. 2025
The process leading to the deal’s approval, which was linked to two senior DOJ officials losing their jobs, briefly drew the ire of Laura Loomer, the right-wing online provocateur.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2025
Then an undercover camera stunt by right-wing provocateur James O'Keefe cemented her fate.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 18 July 2025
Overshadowing them all was a sea of influencers, content creators and provocateurs, who came out en masse for the trial's verdict Wednesday.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocateur. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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