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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
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Dynevor, meanwhile, finds texture in a villainous role that rightly reminds us how petty personal grievances (on campus, no less) may well be the driving force behind the most outspoken political provocateurs.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Maybe Lanthimos is just in step with his moment — a madman provocateur for an increasingly mad world.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Loomer—a provocateur and media figure with influence over Trump—is notorious for picking intra-party fights.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 2025.
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