instigator

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person who makes something happen, especially a quarrel, riot or other trouble, by encouraging or provoking it.

   Grammar: Often followed by of: the instigator of the fight.

   Patterns

   • the instigator of something

   Police named him as the instigator of the riot.

   Who was the instigator of this argument?

   The teacher asked for the instigator to come forward.

2. 2nouncountable

   A person who starts a plan or reform and gets it going.

   Grammar: Can be neutral or positive here.

   Patterns

   • an instigator of something

   She was the instigator of the town's new recycling scheme.

   The mayor was the main instigator of the park project.

Word forms

Common combinations

the main instigator

The main instigator was later arrested.

the instigator of the fight

Witnesses said he was the instigator of the fight.

a ringleader and instigator

The coach saw him as a ringleader and instigator.

an instigator of change

She became an instigator of change in the school.

prime instigator

The prime instigator is still unknown.

Synonyms and how they differ

ringleader

A ringleader leads a group doing something wrong, whereas an instigator may only start it.

provocateur

Provocateur is more formal and suggests someone deliberately stirring up trouble for a purpose.

initiator

Initiator is neutral and has no sense of blame, unlike instigator.

agitator

An agitator keeps stirring up public feeling, usually for a political cause, while an instigator may act once.

Opposites

Word family

instigate verb

to cause something to start, usually something bad

instigation noun

the act of encouraging or starting trouble

Commonly confused: instigator or investigator?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “instigator”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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