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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
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
The emails also showed that former White House chief strategist and right-wing provocateur, Steve Bannon, who is also shown with Epstein in one photo, closely advised Epstein on how to handle the fallout after the Miami Herald published a series in 2018 about his crimes.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Qatar — fresh off its annual diplomacy confab where the bizarre highlight was provocateur Tucker Carlson’s decision to buy a home in Doha — is launching a $20 billion digital infrastructure venture to invest in, among other things, data centers.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 9 Dec. 2025
The show, which was created by a provocateur-cartoonist named Emily Youcis, is notable for at least two reasons.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 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 19 Dec. 2025.
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