Provocation

How to spell provocation

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce provocation

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does provocation mean?

1. nounAn action or remark that deliberately rouses anger, irritation, or a strong reaction in someone.

Provocation in a sentence

• The referee sent him off for striking an opponent without any provocation.

• She stayed calm in the meeting despite his constant provocation.

Where does provocation come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb provocare, which literally meant 'to call forth' or 'to summon out', built from pro 'forth' and vocare 'to call'. In Roman usage it carried the sense of challenging or stirring someone into a response, and from there it grew the idea of deliberately rousing anger or action. English took it up in the late fourteenth century by way of Old French provocation, keeping the meaning of an act that incites or angers. The same vocare root, meaning 'to call', still echoes through a family of related words such as 'vocal', 'voice', 'advocate' and 'revoke', which is a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the 'voc' in the middle. The unstressed 'voc' syllable is the quiet trap here, since it is easy to misjudge the vowel between the clearly sounded 'pro' and the stressed 'ca' part.

How the word is built

• pro- (forth)
• voc (call)
• -ation (noun of action)