noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˌpɹɑvəˈkeɪʃən/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌpɹɒvəˈkeɪʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:P R AA2 V AH0 K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of provoking, inciting or annoying someone into doing something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Something that provokes; a provocative act.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The second step in OPQRST regarding the investigation of what makes the symptoms MOI or NOI improve or deteriorate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: emergency-medicine, medicine, sciences
Examples
When it's time to check for provocation, ask the patient about what makes their chief complaint better or worse.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
unfriendly behavior that causes anger or resentment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: aggravation, irritation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: aggression
Narrower terms: aggro, last straw, twit, taunt, taunting
5
noun
Meaning 5
needed encouragement
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the result was a provocation of vigorous investigation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: incitement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: encouragement
Narrower terms: subornation
6
noun
Meaning 6
something that incites or provokes; a means of arousing or stirring to action
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: incitement, incitation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: psychic energy, mental energy
Narrower terms: signal
History
Etymology
From Middle English provocacioun, from Old French provocacion, from Late Latin prōvocātiō, prōvocātiōnem, from Latin prōvocō. By surface analysis, provoke + -ation. Doublet of provokatsiya.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
إِثَارَة
(ʔiṯāra)
— act of provoking
Arabic:
اِسْتِفْزَاز
(istifzāz)
— act of provoking
Azerbaijani:
provokasiya
— act of provoking
Azerbaijani:
təxribat
— act of provoking
Belarusian:
правака́цыя
(pravakácyja)
— act of provoking
Bulgarian:
провока́ция
(provokácija)
— act of provoking
Chinese Mandarin:
挑釁 /挑衅
(tiǎoxìn)
— act of provoking
Czech:
provokace
— act of provoking
Dutch:
provocatie
— act of provoking
Esperanto:
provoko
— act of provoking
Finnish:
provokaatio
— act of provoking
French:
provocation
— act of provoking
Galician:
provocación
— act of provoking
Georgian:
პროვოკაცია
(ṗrovoḳacia)
— act of provoking
German:
Provokation
— act of provoking
Greek:
προβοκάτσια
(provokátsia)
— act of provoking
Hungarian:
provokáció
— act of provoking
Indonesian:
provokasi
— act of provoking
Irish:
gríosú
— act of provoking
Irish:
saighdeadh
— act of provoking
Italian:
provocazione
— act of provoking
Japanese:
挑発
(chōhatsu)
— act of provoking
Korean:
도발
(dobal)
— act of provoking
Latvian:
provokācija
— act of provoking
Latvian:
provocēšana
— act of provoking
Macedonian:
провокација
(provokacija)
— act of provoking
Malay:
provokasi
— act of provoking
Persian:
پرووکاسیون
(provokâsion)
— act of provoking
Polish:
prowokacja
— act of provoking
Portuguese:
provocação
— act of provoking
Romanian:
provocare
— act of provoking
Russian:
провока́ция
(provokácija)
— act of provoking
Serbo-Croatian:
провока́ција
— act of provoking
Serbo-Croatian:
provokácija
— act of provoking
Slovak:
provokácia
— act of provoking
Slovene:
provokacija
— act of provoking
Lower Sorbian:
prowokacija
— act of provoking
Spanish:
provocación
— act of provoking
Swedish:
provokation
— act of provoking
Turkish:
kışkırtma
— act of provoking
Turkish:
provokasyon
— act of provoking
Ukrainian:
провока́ція
(provokácija)
— act of provoking
Urdu:
اَشْتِعال
(išt'āl)
— act of provoking
Urdu:
اَشْتِعال اَنگیزی
(išt'āl gēzī)
— act of provoking
Welsh:
cythrudd
— act of provoking
Welsh:
pryfociad
— act of provoking
Yiddish:
פראוועקאציע
(provokatsye)
— act of provoking
