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Incite

 - 5 dictionary results

in⋅cite

  [in-sahyt]
Use Incite in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -cit⋅ed, -cit⋅ing.
to stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action: to incite a crowd to riot.
Origin:
1475–85; < L incitāre, equiv. to in- in- 2 + citāre to start up, excite; see cite

Related forms:
in⋅cit⋅a⋅ble, adjective
in⋅cit⋅ant, adjective, noun
in⋅ci⋅ta⋅tion  [in-sahy-tey-shuhn, -si-] , noun
in⋅cit⋅er, noun
in⋅cit⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
instigate, provoke, goad, spur, arouse, exhort; fire; induce. Incite, rouse, provoke, inflame are verbs meaning to goad or inspire an individual or a group to take some action or to express some feeling. Incite and rouse are similar in that, although they can imply in some contexts abrasive or inflammatory arousal of violent or uncontrolled behavior, neither necessarily does so. Incite means simply to induce activity, of whatever kind: incited to greater effort by encouragement; incited to riot. Rouse has an underlying sense of awakening: to rouse the apathetic soldiers to a determination to win; to rouse the inattentive public to an awareness of the danger. Provoke implies a sense of challenge or irritation along with arousal and often suggests a resultant anger or violence: provoked by scathing references to his accomplishments; to provoke a wave of resentment. Inflame, with its root sense to set afire, implies a resultant intensity and passion: to inflame a mob by fiery speeches; He was inflamed to rage by constant frustration.

Antonyms:
discourage.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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in·cite   (ĭn-sīt')   
tr.v.   in·cit·ed, in·cit·ing, in·cites
To provoke and urge on: troublemakers who incite riots; inciting workers to strike. See Synonyms at provoke.

[Middle English encyten, from Old French enciter, from Latin incitāre, to urge forward : in-, intensive pref.; see in-2 + citāre, to stimulate, frequentative of ciēre, to put in motion; see kei-2 in Indo-European roots.]
in·cite'ment n., in·cit'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

incite 
1447, from M.Fr. enciter (14c.), from L. incitare "to put into rapid motion, urge, encourage, stimulate," from in- "on" + citare "move, excite" (see cite).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: in·cite
Pronunciation: in-'sIt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: in·cit·ed; in·cit·ing
: to urge on <incite a riot> —in·cite·ment noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·cite
Pronunciation: in-'sIt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: in·cit·ed; in·cit·ing
: to bring into being : induce to exist or occur incited antibody formation>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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