noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   One who engages in provocative behavior.

   "Near-synonyms: provoker (sometimes synonymous), agitator"

2. 2
   a secret agent who incites suspected persons to commit illegal acts wordnet
3. 3
   An undercover agent who incites suspected persons to partake in or commit criminal acts.

   "Near-synonyms: agitator, inciter"

Synonyms

All synonyms

agent provocateuragitatoragent provocateuragitatoragitpropbutton pusher

Example

More examples

"Tom is a known agent provocateur."

Etymology

Borrowed from French provocateur. Doublet of provocator.

Related phrases

agent provocateur

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.