unprovoked

adjective

un·​pro·​voked ˌən-prə-ˈvōkt How to pronounce unprovoked (audio)
: occurring without any identifiable cause or justification : not provoked
an unprovoked assault/attack
unprovoked anger

Examples of unprovoked in a Sentence

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.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) estimates that the chances of a Florida resident being seriously injured in an unprovoked alligator attack are just one in 3.1 million. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025 The sanctions were imposed after Moscow launched its unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025 Putin was reviled as a pariah across the West before Trump began his second term as president in January, not just for launching an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, but for decades of election meddling and aggression abroad, and for brutally silencing political opposition at home. Alexander Smith, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2025 After the unprovoked nature of the attack and the severity of the injuries, Beaudin decided to euthanize Sarge. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unprovoked

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unprovoked was in 1534

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Cite this Entry

“Unprovoked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprovoked. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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