provocation
prov-uh-KAY-shun
/ˌprɒvəˈkeɪʃn/
Action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, especially deliberately.
In law, 'provocation' is a defense that can reduce a charge from murder to manslaughter. It argues that the victim did something so upsetting that any reasonable person might have lost control.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'provocare,' meaning 'to call forth.' When you provoke someone, you are literally 'calling out' their anger or calling them to a fight.
Word relationships
- incitement: Incitement is specifically encouraging someone else to commit a crime; provocation is making someone angry enough to react.
- stimulus: Stimulus is a neutral scientific term for something that causes a reaction.
- pacification: The act of calming someone down or bringing peace.
- appeasement: The action of acceding to demands in order to avoid conflict.
Commonly confused with
- instigation: Instigation is starting something; provocation is specifically 'calling forth' a negative reaction.
Word family
- provoke (verb): To stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one.
- provocative (adjective): Causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.
Collocations
- extreme provocation
- deliberate provocation
- without provocation
- under provocation
Example sentences
- "The defendant acted under extreme provocation after being repeatedly insulted and physically threatened." A defense attorney's argument.
- "The border skirmish was seen as a deliberate provocation intended to start a full-scale war." A historical account of a conflict.
Memory hook
Pro-vocation. A 'vocation' is a calling. 'Pro' is forward. You are calling forward a fight. Calling forth anger.
When not to use
Do not use as a total excuse for a crime; it is usually a 'mitigating factor,' not a 'justification.'
Fun facts
- The 'Gay Panic Defense' was a controversial legal strategy based on provocation that has been banned in many US states.
- In boxing, 'provocation' is a tactic used to get an opponent to drop their guard.
Related words
Explore more words
provoke, provocative, goad, incitement, bait, rile
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