Meanings
plural provocateurs
- One who engages in provocative behavior.
Near-synonyms: provoker (sometimes synonymous), agitator
2 more examples
Gerard Mortier, an iconoclastic impresario and one of the opera world’s premier provocateurs, will become general manager and artistic director of the New York City Opera in 2009.
2007 February 28, Daniel J. Wakin, “City Opera Lures Director From Paris”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2021Cannes is smacking its lips in anticipation of filmmaker and provocateur Michael Moore's latest jeremiad against the US administration, which receives its premiere at the film festival today.
2007 May 19, Charlotte Higgins, “US government trying to seize new Michael Moore film, says producer”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 09 Mar 2021Synonyms: provocant, provocator, provoker, agitator
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who engages in provocative behavior.
nounAn undercover agent who incites suspected persons to partake in or commit criminal acts.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna secret agent who incites suspected persons to commit illegal acts
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchprovocateur
- Englishprovocateur
Borrowed from French provocateur. Doublet of provocator.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian провока́тор
- провока́тор (provokátor)one who engages in provocative behavior
Chinese Mandarin 挑釁者 /挑衅者
- 挑釁者 /挑衅者 (tiǎoxìnzhě)one who engages in provocative behavior
Czech provokatér
- provokatérone who engages in provocative behavior
Dutch provocateur, agent-provocateur
- provocateurone who engages in provocative behavior
- agent-provocateurundercover agent who incites suspected persons to partake in or commit criminal acts
Esperanto provokisto
- provokistoone who engages in provocative behavior
Estonian provokaator
- provokaatorone who engages in provocative behavior
Finnish provokaattori
- provokaattorione who engages in provocative behavior
French provocateur, provocatrice
- provocateurone who engages in provocative behavior
- provocatriceone who engages in provocative behavior
German Provokateur, Provokateurin
- Provokateurone who engages in provocative behavior
- Provokateurinone who engages in provocative behavior
Greek προβοκάτορας
- προβοκάτορας (provokátoras)one who engages in provocative behavior
Hungarian provokátor
- provokátorone who engages in provocative behavior
Indonesian provokator
- provokatorone who engages in provocative behavior
Persian پرووکاتور
- پرووکاتور (provokâtor)one who engages in provocative behavior
Polish prowokator, prowokatorka
- prowokatorone who engages in provocative behavior
- prowokatorkaone who engages in provocative behavior
- awanturnikone who engages in provocative behavior
- awanturnicaone who engages in provocative behavior
- prowokatorundercover agent who incites suspected persons to partake in or commit criminal acts
- prowokatorkaundercover agent who incites suspected persons to partake in or commit criminal acts
Portuguese agente provocador
- agente provocadorundercover agent who incites suspected persons to partake in or commit criminal acts
Russian провока́тор
- провока́тор (provokátor)one who engages in provocative behavior
Spanish provocador, agente provocador
- provocadorone who engages in provocative behavior
- agente provocadorundercover agent who incites suspected persons to partake in or commit criminal acts
Swedish provokatör
- provokatörone who engages in provocative behavior
Turkish provokatör
- provokatörone who engages in provocative behavior
Ukrainian провока́тор
- провока́тор (provokátor)one who engages in provocative behavior
Cite this entry
provocateur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/provocateur
“provocateur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/provocateur. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “provocateur,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/provocateur.
Source: provocateur on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.