provocation

noun

prov·​o·​ca·​tion ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce provocation (audio)
Synonyms of provocation
1
: the act of provoking : incitement
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates

Synonyms of provocation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has responded with unusual restraint to Trump’s provocations and has resisted demands to pull away from Washington. — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026 Nobody’s taken the bait regarding White and Freedom’s trollish provocations. — Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026 The man who punched a woman walking on a sidewalk without provocation in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood last week has been jailed and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, court documents show. — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026 This is the laziest kind of provocation, and The Shards can’t even manage to really go there. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for provocation

Word History

Etymology

Middle English provocacioun, from Anglo-French provocacion, from Latin provocation-, provocatio, from provocare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of provocation was in the 15th century

Rhymes for provocation

See All Rhymes for provocation

Browse Nearby Words

provocateur
provocation
provocative
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocation. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

provocation

noun
prov·​o·​ca·​tion ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce provocation (audio)
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes

Medical Definition

provocation

noun
prov·​o·​ca·​tion ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce provocation (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce provocation (audio)
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates

More from Merriam-Webster on provocation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about provocation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All