incites; incited; inciting
1
: to cause (someone) to act in an angry, harmful, or violent way
The victim had done nothing to incite [=provoke] the attackers.
—often + toThey were clearly trying to incite the crowd to violence.
—often followed by to + verbHe incited the students to riot.
2
: to cause (an angry, harmful, or violent action or feeling)
They were arrested and charged with inciting [=provoking] a riot.
The news incited widespread fear and paranoia.
Cite this Entry
“Incite.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/incite. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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