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Synonyms

provocateur

American  
[pruh-vok-uh-tur, -toor, praw-vaw-ka-tœr] / prəˌvɒk əˈtɜr, -ˈtʊər, prɔ vɔ kaˈtœr /

noun

plural

provocateurs

  1. a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.

  2. (italics) agent provocateur.

provocateur British  
/ prəˌvɒkəˈtɜː /

noun

  1. a person who deliberately behaves controversially in order to provoke argument or other strong reactions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of provocateur

1915–20; < French < Latin prōvocātor challenger, appellant, equivalent to provocā ( re ) to provoke + -tor -tor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.