incite

1 of 2

verb

in·​cite in-ˈsīt How to pronounce incite (audio)
incited; inciting
Synonyms of incite

transitive verb

1
: to move (someone) to action : urge on
incited the crowd to violence
2
: to cause (a usually violent action or feeling) to occur
arrested for inciting a riot
incitant
in-ˈsī-tᵊnt How to pronounce incite (audio)
noun
incitement
in-ˈsīt-mənt How to pronounce incite (audio)
noun
inciter noun

incitement

2 of 2

noun

in·​cite·​ment -ītmənt How to pronounce incitement (audio)
plural -s
1
: the act of inciting or the state of being incited
through emotional incitement of each other … they discover paths they need to know—Kathleen Sproul
2
: something that incites : incentive
an incitement to further progress

Synonyms of incite

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for incite

incite, instigate, abet, foment mean to spur to action.

incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating.

inciting a riot

instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention.

instigated a conspiracy

abet implies both assisting and encouraging.

aiding and abetting the enemy

foment implies persistence in goading.

fomenting rebellion

Examples of incite in a Sentence

Verb The news incited widespread fear and paranoia. the rock band's failure to show up incited a riot, as the crowd had waited for hours
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
On August 5, Nelson Mandela was arrested in South Africa for inciting workers to strike, and Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home in Brentwood, California. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 The same forces that produce earthquakes are also what led gold to form in the Sierra foothills, inciting the state's famous rush. — Rong-Gong Lin Ii Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026 Au is accused of providing false information to anti-China organizations overseas to incite hatred against Beijing and the government in Macao, which has become a Chinese casino hub. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 But during his visit, the fifth in line to the British throne incited more controversy by lashing out publicly after a High Court judge delivered a devastating ruling in his lawsuit against the Daily Mail. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for incite

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle French inciter, from Latin incitare, from in- + citare to put in motion — more at cite

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of incite was in the 15th century

Rhymes for incite

See All Rhymes for incite

Browse Nearby Words

incitation
incite
incitement
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incite. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

incite

verb
in·​cite in-ˈsīt How to pronounce incite (audio)
incited; inciting
: to move to action : stir up
inciter noun

Medical Definition

incite

transitive verb
in·​cite in-ˈsīt How to pronounce incite (audio)
incited; inciting
: to bring into being : induce to exist or occur
organisms that readily incited antibody formation

Legal Definition

incite

transitive verb
in·​cite in-ˈsīt How to pronounce incite (audio)
incited; inciting
: to urge on
incite a riot
incitement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on incite

Nglish: Translation of incite for Spanish Speakers

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