instigate
IN-stih-gayt
/ˈɪnstɪɡeɪt/
To initiate an event or situation, especially a negative one, by urging or provoking others.
Instigate implies being the 'mastermind' or the 'spark' behind a process. It focuses on the beginning of the trouble.
The story behind the word. The root is 'stig-', meaning 'to prick'. This is the same root found in 'stigma' (originally a mark pricked into the skin). To instigate was originally to poke someone with a sharp stick to get them moving—a literal 'prod' into action.
Word relationships
- initiate: Initiate is neutral (you can initiate a project), whereas instigate is usually for something troublesome.
- halt: Halt means to bring something to a stop, whereas instigate is about starting it.
Commonly confused with
- investigate: Investigate is to look into something that already happened; instigate is to make something happen.
Word family
- instigator (noun): A person who brings about or initiates something.
- instigation (noun): The action of instigating something.
Collocations
- instigate a search
- instigate proceedings
- instigate a change
- instigate a fight
Example sentences
- "It was later discovered that the rival firm had hired consultants to instigate a strike among the workers." Describing the cause of a corporate conflict.
- "He who instigates a quarrel is more to be blamed than he who continues it." A classic quote regarding the start of a quarrel.
Memory hook
Instigate = In + Stick + Gate. You stick a pole through the gate to poke the dog. Instigate: The spark that starts the fire.
When not to use
Avoid using it for purely positive things like 'instigating a charity drive'—though technically possible, it almost always carries a connotation of mischief or conflict.
Fun facts
- In legal terms, an instigator can often be held just as liable as the person who actually committed the act.
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