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

   Antonyms: discourage

incite

/ ɪnˈsaɪt /

verb

1. tr to stir up or provoke to action

Derived Forms

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

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

They may argue that the House managers have failed to prove that what he did meets the terms of inciting an insurrection.

From Washington Post

I don’t think he was inciting violence by that, but I do think that it led to a dangerous situation.

From Ozy

Parler was effectively knocked offline in January when Amazon, Apple and Google stopped providing it technical services for violating their policies against online posts that incite violence.

From Washington Post

She argued there needs to be accountability for Republicans in Congress who made false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election and who have not condemned the events or apologized for their alleged role in inciting the attempted insurrection.

From Washington Post

The former president was impeached for a second time in the House of Representatives, most recently for “engaging in high Crimes and Misdemeanors by inciting violence against the Government of the United States.”

From Washington Post

For example, the MTA prohibits ads that “incite or provoke violence.”

From The Daily Beast

Though Rabinowitz muses that something like this would not only be impractical but also incite severe backlash.

From The Daily Beast

Few people touch that nerve and incite so much passionate conversation than Dunham and Girls.

From The Daily Beast

Robertson, they said, would “never incite or encourage hate.”

From The Daily Beast

Russell Brand is trying to use comedy to incite political revolution.

From The Daily Beast

This is the more annoying, as there are circumstances that particularly incite our curiosity.

From Project Gutenberg

And to incite the efforts of honest but unfortunate men, bankrupt laws equally useful to creditor and debtor were established.

From Project Gutenberg

It seems impossible to believe that these are the men whom Irish patriots incite to mutiny.

From Project Gutenberg

Thy countrymen are wild, fierce, and warlike: why not incite their martial passions in defence of thy doctrines?

From Project Gutenberg

Not one true believer whom the flesh does not again and again incite to impatience, anger, pride.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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