provocation
noun
Examples of provocation in a Sentence
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024
Seoul’s defense minister, Shin Won-sik, visited the Capital Defense Command on Thursday and ordered a firm response if North Korea made provocations aimed at the capital.
—Reuters, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
He is nonetheless drawn in, to his surprise and discomfort, by Benzion’s provocation that American Jews have ransomed themselves for the fantasy of belonging.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024
Paltrow, 51, appeared on Thursday's episode of YouTube series Hot Ones and was asked about her thoughts on the role of provocation when building a brand.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Neither Jewish nor American history (nor any other) indefinitely forswears violence regardless of provocation.
—Steve Koppman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
And provocation includes things that make the pain worse.
—Jenny Sweigard, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024
At this stage in the 21st century that much transparency seems like the tritest form of misogynistic pretend-fashion provocation.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Unprovoked bites are defined as those occurring on live humans in the shark's natural habitat with no human provocation.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provocation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English provocacioun, from Anglo-French provocacion, from Latin provocation-, provocatio, from provocare
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near provocation
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocation. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on provocation
Nglish: Translation of provocation for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of provocation for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about provocation
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