provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən 
1
: the act of provoking : incitement
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
Examples of provocation in a Sentence
He can turn violent at the least provocation.
Her calmness in the face of repeated provocations impressed her friends.
With hardly any provocation, the crowd began to chant.
Recent Examples on the Web
As a piece of educational software, its provocation deepens its effect.
—
Simon Parkin, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
Italy is also a NATO country, so any serious provocation between Russia and these states could further escalate tensions between the alliance and Moscow.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
As celebratory crowds swarmed Mr. Mondlane’s motorcade in Maputo on Thursday, witnesses say the police, with little provocation, responded with tear gas and bullets, leaving at least one man dead on the sidewalk with blood gushing from his head.
—Tavares Cebola, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Considering this is an intimate environment with a lot of suites — and the type of people who fill up suites on opening night of an entirely new thing — getting anything from the fans without provocation is a win.
—Brody Miller and Hugh Kellenberger, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for provocation 
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Simon Parkin, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
Italy is also a NATO country, so any serious provocation between Russia and these states could further escalate tensions between the alliance and Moscow.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
As celebratory crowds swarmed Mr. Mondlane’s motorcade in Maputo on Thursday, witnesses say the police, with little provocation, responded with tear gas and bullets, leaving at least one man dead on the sidewalk with blood gushing from his head.
—Tavares Cebola, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Considering this is an intimate environment with a lot of suites — and the type of people who fill up suites on opening night of an entirely new thing — getting anything from the fans without provocation is a win.
—Brody Miller and Hugh Kellenberger, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for provocation
Dictionary Entries Near provocation
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocation. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes
Medical Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌpräv-ə-ˈkā-shən
: the act or process of provoking
a nonspecific irritant that brings about provocation of bronchial asthma
Legal Definition
provocation
noun
prov·o·ca·tion
ˌprä-və-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act of provoking
2
: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
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