Meaning & use
Provocateur
Last updated
A person who deliberately provokes controversy or conflict, often to expose or disrupt.
See it in a sentence
The columnist built his career as a provocateur, delighting in outraging both sides of every debate.
Critics called the artist a provocateur for staging deliberately offensive exhibitions.
A note on using this word
The word is a shortening of the French phrase "agent provocateur," originally referring to someone hired to incite others into committing incriminating acts.
Words with a similar meaning
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