Word
incite
Phoneticsin·cite, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪnˈsaɪt/
UK/ɪnsˈaɪt/
Definition
v. to encourage someone to do something violent, illegal, or unpleasant.
v. to instigate or provoke a specific action, typically one that is violent, unlawful, or socially disruptive.
Examples
“The speaker tried to incite a riot.”
“The group was accused of using social media to incite violence against local businesses during the protest.”
“Legal scholars often debate the precise threshold at which inflammatory political rhetoric crosses the line from protected free speech to a criminal attempt to incite immediate lawless action.”
Examples
simple
“The speaker tried to incite a riot.”
contextual
“The group was accused of using social media to incite violence against local businesses during the protest.”
complex
“Legal scholars often debate the precise threshold at which inflammatory political rhetoric crosses the line from protected free speech to a criminal attempt to incite immediate lawless action.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, such as 'violence', 'hatred', or 'a riot'.
Pitfall
incite to a riot
incite a riot
Incite is a transitive verb and should be followed directly by the noun phrase it acts upon without a preposition.
Real-World Examples
“The coach in charge of Benfica at the time suggested that the Brazil forward incited opposing players with his celebrations after scoring.” “In a separate case, Chow was arrested in June 2021 for "inciting" the public to take part in that year's vigil and later found guilty.” Etymology
From Middle French inciter, from Latin incitō (“to set in motion, hasten, urge, incite”), from in (“in, on”) + citō (“to set in motion, urge”), frequentative of cieō (“to rouse, excite, call”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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