Definitions for instigate
ˈɪn stɪˌgeɪtin·sti·gate

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.7 / 3 votes

1. incite, instigate, set off, stir upverb

   provoke or stir up

   "incite a riot"; "set off great unrest among the people"

2. prompt, inspire, instigateverb

   serve as the inciting cause of

   "She prompted me to call my relatives"

WiktionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. instigateverb

   To goad or urge forward; to set on; to provoke; to incite.

   He hath only instigated his blackest agents to the very extent of their malignity. -Bp. Warburton.

2. Etymology: From the instigatus, past participle of instigare, from prefix in- in + *, akin to stinguere. Akin to stechen, stick.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To INSTIGATEverb

   To urge to ill; to provoke or incite to a crime.

   Etymology: instigo, Lat. instiguer, French.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. instigate

   Instigate typically means to incite, provoke, encourage, or initiate a particular action, behavior, or event. It often suggests an intention to cause trouble or disturbance.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Instigateverb

   to goad or urge forward; to set on; to provoke; to incite; -- used chiefly with reference to evil actions; as to instigate one to a crime

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Instigate

   in′sti-gāt, v.t. to urge on: to set on: to foment.—ns. Instigā′tion, the act of inciting: impulse, esp. to evil; In′stigator, an inciter, generally in a bad sense. [L. instigāre, -ātum.]

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce instigate?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say instigate in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of instigate in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of instigate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of instigate in a Sentence

1. Hanan Yadin:

   I am not sure that anyone can stop this completely, this is a warfare game, psychological warfare – to instill fear and intimidation among the targets. It is also an effective and cheap tool to instigate and to recruit.

2. Karen Bradley:

   We need to ensure that where a serious crime has been committed, the police are informed and can instigate an appropriate multi-agency response to protect girls and bring perpetrators to justice.

3. Hun Sen:

   Politicians should not use this to instigate things that would lead the country into unrest.

4. Clifford Villanueva Villalon:

   The purpose of writing is not to commend the flaws and imperfections in life. We do not write to encourage enmity or to instigate evil. We want to promote writing not as self-expression, but to minimize life's imperfections.

5. Dana Nessel:

   The individuals in( state) custody are suspected to have attempted to identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers in order to target them, made threats of violence intended to instigate a civil war, and engaged in planning and training for an operation to attack the capitol building of Michigan and to kidnap government officials, including the governor of Michigan.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=instigate
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Instigate
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=instigate
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instigate
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=instigate
7. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=instigate