provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən 
1
: the act of provoking : incitement
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
Examples of provocation in a Sentence
He can turn violent at the least provocation.
Her calmness in the face of repeated provocations impressed her friends.
With hardly any provocation, the crowd began to chant.
Recent Examples on the Web
White listeners and white supremacy are always ripe for a dressing down, but there’s no teeth or edge to his provocations anymore.
—
Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 29 May 2026
Over and over, Levinson squanders opportunities for humanization or interiority in favor of provocation.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 28 May 2026
Yii-Jan Lin, a professor of New Testament at Yale Divinity School and author of the book Immigration and Apocalypse, views the video as a calculated provocation.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 26 May 2026
Before Judge Rivanda Doss Beal for a Saturday detention hearing, prosecutors detailed how the victim sat on the trunk of his vehicle chatting with friends when Carroll and two others approached the group and opened fire without any apparent provocation or words exchanged.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
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Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 29 May 2026
Over and over, Levinson squanders opportunities for humanization or interiority in favor of provocation.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 28 May 2026
Yii-Jan Lin, a professor of New Testament at Yale Divinity School and author of the book Immigration and Apocalypse, views the video as a calculated provocation.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 26 May 2026
Before Judge Rivanda Doss Beal for a Saturday detention hearing, prosecutors detailed how the victim sat on the trunk of his vehicle chatting with friends when Carroll and two others approached the group and opened fire without any apparent provocation or words exchanged.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocation. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes
Medical Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
: the act or process of provoking
a nonspecific irritant that brings about provocation of bronchial asthma
Legal Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
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