agent provocateur

noun

agent pro·​vo·​ca·​teur ˈä-ˌzhäⁿ-prō-ˌvä-kə-ˈtər How to pronounce agent provocateur (audio) ˈā-jənt-prō-ˌvä-kə-ˈtər How to pronounce agent provocateur (audio)
plural agents provocateurs ˈä-ˌzhäⁿ-prō-ˌvä-kə-ˈtər How to pronounce agent provocateur (audio)
ˈā-jən(t)s-prō-
Synonyms of agent provocateurnext
: one employed to associate with suspected persons and by pretending sympathy with their aims to incite them to some incriminating action

Examples of agent provocateur in a Sentence

The government used agents provocateurs to try to undermine the opposition party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But De Niro’s attempt at playing agent provocateur stumbled badly: His decision to stand outside the New York Trump trial cost the actor his credibility. — Armond White, National Review, 5 June 2024 Members of the crowd accused Epps of being an agent provocateur, which later helped spur the conspiracy theories about him. — Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "provoking agent"

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agent provocateur was in 1845

Browse Nearby Words

Agent Orange
agent provocateur
agentry
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Cite this Entry

“Agent provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agent%20provocateur. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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