Provocative

How to spell provocative

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce provocative

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does provocative mean?

1. adjectiveDeliberately causing anger, argument, or a strong emotional reaction.
2. adjectiveIntended to arouse sexual interest or desire.

Provocative in a sentence

• The columnist made a deliberately provocative claim to draw readers in.

• The dress code banned anything the manager judged too provocative.

• His provocative remarks during the meeting unsettled the whole board.

• The advert was pulled for its provocative imagery.

Where does provocative come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb provocare, which literally meant 'to call forth' or 'to challenge', built from pro- 'forth' and vocare 'to call'. In Roman use it carried the sense of summoning or stirring something up, including the legal idea of appealing to a higher authority. The related adjective provocativus described anything that stirred or excited a response. English took the word in through Old French provocatif during the late 1300s and early 1400s, at first meaning anything that stimulated or aroused. The same vocare root still calls out from everyday relatives such as 'vocal', 'vocation', and 'advocate', and that single c in the middle is the main thing to fix in memory.

How the word is built

• pro- (forth)
• voc (call, from Latin vocare)
• -ative (adjective suffix)