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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."
Synonyms of provocateur
Examples of provocateur in a Sentence
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Delcy Rodríguez, a guerrilla’s daughter, started out as a provocateur.
—Adam Entous Zolan Kanno-Youngs Emily Anthes Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
This same climate, however, allowed for vicious attacks on a provocateur from their side who had just been killed in cold blood.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
On Friday, streetwear brand founded by cultural provocateur Tremaine Emory, released its first proprietary denim collection.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 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 18 Jan. 2026.
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