In "provocateur," a word borrowed directly from French, one sees the English verb "provoke." Both "provoke" and "provocateur" derive from Latin provocare, meaning "to call forth." Why do we say "provocateur" for one who incites another to action, instead of simply "provoker"? Perhaps it's because of "agent provocateur," a term of French origin that literally means "provoking agent." Both "agent provocateur" and the shortened "provocateur" can refer to someone (such as an undercover police officer or a political operative) whose job is to incite people to break the law so that they can be arrested, but only "provocateur" is used in English with the more general sense of "one who provokes."
a calculating provocateur, she has made a career out of controversy for its own sake
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There are these cliché observations about Bob: Bob the mysterious enigma, Bob the playful provocateur.—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025 While some men are jumping on board, the most popular of these creators—which range from nobodies doing voiceovers to far-right provocateurs like Candance Owens and Megyn Kelly—are women speaking to other women.—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2025 The skepticism had some basis—Gaga really did borrow from musical provocateurs before her (the foremost being, yes, Madonna).—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025 Two months before Baldwin was scheduled to go on trial for Hutchins’ death, he also was caught in another viral clip, trying not to lose his temper in his neighborhood coffee shop when he was confronted by another social media provocateur.—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for provocateur
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