incite

[ in-sahyt ]

verb (used with object)

, in·cit·ed, in·cit·ing.

1. to stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action:

   to incite a crowd to riot.

   Synonyms: induce, fire, exhort, arouse, spur, goad, provoke, instigate

   Antonyms: discourage

incite

/ ɪnˈsaɪt /

verb

1. tr to stir up or provoke to action

Derived Forms

• ˌinciˈtation, noun
• inˈciter, noun
• inˈcitement, noun
• inˈcitingly, adverb

Other Words From

• in·cita·ble adjective
• in·citant adjective noun
• in·ci·ta·tion [in-sahy-, tey, -sh, uh, n, -si-], noun
• in·citer noun
• in·citing·ly adverb
• rein·cite verb (used with object) reincited reinciting
• unin·cited adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of incite¹

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin incitāre, from in- in- ² + citāre “to move repeatedly, set in motion, summon” ( cite ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of incite¹

C15: from Latin incitāre, from in- ² + citāre to excite

Synonym Study

Incite, rouse, provoke, inflame are verbs meaning to goad or inspire an individual or a group to take some action or to express some feeling. Incite and rouse are similar in that, although they can imply in some contexts abrasive or inflammatory arousal of violent or uncontrolled behavior, neither necessarily does so. Incite means simply to induce activity, of whatever kind: incited to greater effort by encouragement; incited to riot. Rouse has an underlying sense of awakening: to rouse the apathetic soldiers to a determination to win; to rouse the inattentive public to an awareness of the danger. Provoke implies a sense of challenge or irritation along with arousal and often suggests a resultant anger or violence: provoked by scathing references to his accomplishments; to provoke a wave of resentment. Inflame, with its root sense to set afire, implies a resultant intensity and passion: to inflame a mob by fiery speeches; He was inflamed to rage by constant frustration.

Example Sentences

And now they can add that it’s true even if they lie, cheat and incite a deadly insurrection against the nation’s government.

From Los Angeles Times

McMonagle, 43, who has an address of Limewood Street in Londonderry, originally faced 15 charges, including attempting to incite two children to engage in sexual activity.

From BBC

Harris recently held a rally on the National Mall near the place where Trump helped incite the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump could become the first president elected as a felon, and the first who tried to overturn an election and incite an insurrection — the rare candidate, in any democracy, who has openly threatened to use the military and the courts to go after political foes he calls “the enemy from within.”

From Los Angeles Times

Those who claim that it’s simply overblown rhetoric or who point to legal, economic, and social obstacles to implementing these threats must understand that not only are the legal barriers this time around much lower, but the previous time the administration tried to do it, just the threat was enough to incite panic.

From Slate

Related Words

• abet
• agitate
• arouse
• encourage
• exhort
• foment
• inflame
• inspire
• instigate
• motivate
• prompt
• provoke
• rouse
• set off
• spur
• trigger
• urge
• whip up