incendiary

1 of 2

adjective

in·​cen·​di·​ary in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē  -ˈsen-də-rē 

-dyə-

1

a

: igniting combustible materials spontaneously

b

: of, relating to, or being a weapon (such as a bomb) designed to start fires

2

: tending to excite or inflame : inflammatory

incendiary speeches

3

: of, relating to, or involving arson : arsonous

4

: extremely hot

incendiary chili peppers

incendiary

2 of 2

noun

plural incendiaries

1

: a person who excites factions, quarrels, or sedition : agitator

2

a

: a substance or weapon (such as a bomb) used to start fires

b

: a person who commits arson : arsonist

Synonyms

Adjective

• inflammatory
• seditious

Noun

• arsonist
• firebug
• torch

Examples of incendiary in a Sentence

Adjective

While visual effects experts work with images, mechanical effects experts work with machinery, tools, incendiary devices, and other equipment to manipulate physical events during live-action filming. —Patricia D. Netzley, Encyclopedia of Movie Special Effects, 2000

In the mid-Eighties, heavy-metal music was the incendiary genre being demonized … —Alan Light, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 1993

The only caveat … is to know one's own sensitivity to chili pepper heat. If a small or moderate dose of capsicum (the incendiary chemical component in chilies) makes you dash for a glass of ice water, this menu is not going to be fun for you. —Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 15 Mar. 1991

The fire was started by an incendiary bomb.

recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions

Noun

He was convinced that the arsonist was not at all what the town imagined: not brazen, but callow; not an expert incendiary noiselessly plying deer paths, but someone who was driving right up to his targets and fumbling with matches … —Barry Werth, New England Monthly, February 1989

White phosphorus, an incendiary, is normally packed in thin-walled casings; the casing is effective for dispersing chemical agents as well. —Stephen Budiansky, Nature, 5–11 Apr. 1984

The British had also made jellied gasoline with rubber, and it was generally recognized to be an excellent incendiary because of its easy ignition, high heat of combustion, and controlled burning rate. —B. & F. M. Brodie, From Crossbow to H-Bomb, 1973

firefighters caught the incendiary, who was watching the effects of his handiwork

blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Musk’s incendiary commentary has only fueled public anxiety, including his comment about Security being the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time. —Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025

Another incendiary event occurred in Colorado, where a woman was arrested on Feb. 27 after police caught her with explosives at a Tesla dealership, according to the Loveland Police Department. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025

Noun

The dragon drones have mostly attacked bunkers, trenches and their occupants—the operators apparently calculating that structures and troops are most vulnerable to sticky incendiaries that can kill a human being in seconds. —David Axe, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

But incendiaries work against armored vehicles, too, as one Ukrainian brigade apparently discovered—more accurately, rediscovered—in eastern Ukraine this week. —David Axe, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Latin incendiarius, from incendium conflagration, from incendere

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Kids Definition

incendiary

1 of 2 noun

in·​cen·​di·​ary in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē 

plural incendiaries

1

: a person who commits arson : arsonist

2

: a person who excites quarrels : agitator

incendiary

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of, relating to, or involving arson

2

: tending to excite quarrels : inflammatory

an incendiary speech

3

: containing chemicals that burst into flame on contact

an incendiary bomb