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
That their presence reads as provocation has to do with old and enduring stereotypes about aggressive Black women, which Anderson is definitely playing with.
—
Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Born out of Sydney in 1999 by a group of friends fed up with cookie-cutter jeans, Ksubi staked its name on provocation with an ethos forged in defiance; its 2001 debut infamously included 200 live rats on the runway.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 25 Nov. 2025
Reed is accused of filling a small bottle with gasoline at a Citgo station, then jumping on the Blue Line 20 minutes later, before dousing a woman in gasoline and setting her on fire without any provocation.
—Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
China’s foreign ministry said Takaichi’s remarks amounted to a provocation.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocation
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Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Born out of Sydney in 1999 by a group of friends fed up with cookie-cutter jeans, Ksubi staked its name on provocation with an ethos forged in defiance; its 2001 debut infamously included 200 live rats on the runway.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 25 Nov. 2025
Reed is accused of filling a small bottle with gasoline at a Citgo station, then jumping on the Blue Line 20 minutes later, before dousing a woman in gasoline and setting her on fire without any provocation.
—Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
China’s foreign ministry said Takaichi’s remarks amounted to a provocation.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocation. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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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