agent provocateur

noun
UK: /ˌeɪʒɒ̃ prɒˌvɒkəˈtɜː(r)/
US: /ˌeɪˌʒɑ̃ː prəˌvɑːkəˈtʊr/

  1. Someone who encourages people to do something illegal so they can be caught.

    1. The agent provocateur caused a fight. [ ] [ ]
    2. The police used an agent provocateur to infiltrate the gang and gather evidence. [ ] [ ]

  2. A person who pretends to share beliefs with a group in order to cause trouble or get them into trouble with the authorities.

    1. He acted as agent provocateur. [ ] [ ]
    2. The undercover officer acted as an agent provocateur, inciting the crowd to riot. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

troublemaker

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "agent provocateur" in English means: Someone who encourages people to do something illegal so they can be caught., A person who pretends to share beliefs with a group in order to cause trouble or get them into trouble with the authorities..

The phonetic transcription of "agent provocateur" is /ˌeɪʒɒ̃ prɒˌvɒkəˈtɜː(r)/ in British English and /ˌeɪˌʒɑ̃ː prəˌvɑːkəˈtʊr/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "agent provocateur": troublemaker.

Example usage of "agent provocateur": "The agent provocateur caused a fight.". More examples on the page.