instigate

English

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for instigate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.)

Etymology

From the Latin īnstīgātus, past participle of īnstīgāre (“to instigate”), from prefix in- (“in”) + *stigare, akin to stinguere (“push, goad”). Akin to German stechen (“to prick”), English stick.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈɪnstəɡeɪt/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Verb

instigate (third-person singular simple present instigates, present participle instigating, simple past and past participle instigated)

  1. (transitive) to incite; to bring about by urging or encouraging
    to instigate a riot
  2. (transitive) to goad or urge (a person) forward, especially to wicked actions; to provoke
    to instigate someone to a crime
    • (Can we date this quote by Bishop Warburton?)
      He hath only instigated his blackest agents to the very extent of their malignity.
    Synonyms: animate, encourage, impel, incite, provoke, spur, stimulate, tempt, urge
    Antonyms: halt, prevent, stop

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Esperanto

Adverb

instigate

  1. present adverbial passive participle of instigi

Latin

Verb

instīgāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of instīgō
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