instigate

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪnstəɡeɪt/

• Audio (US)

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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

   • 2017, Desa Markovic, Working with Sexual Issues in Psychotherapy

     If the man perceives that his partner has arousal or orgasmic difficulties, this is likely to influence his desire to instigate sexual activity and/or his enjoyment and pleasure in being sexual with his partner.

2. (transitive) to goad or urge (a person) forward, especially to wicked actions; to provoke

   to instigate someone to a crime

   • 1678, Robert Barclay, An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

     he might instigate them to swear against the law of God

   • 1738–1741, William Warburton, The Divine Legation of Moses […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II.1, or II.2), London: […] Fletcher Gyles, […], OCLC 1003933465:

     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

• instigatable
• instigation
• instigator

 

Translations

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

• Arabic: حَرَضَ‎ (ḥaraḍa), دَفَعَ‎ (ar) (dafaʿa)
• Armenian: սադրել (hy) (sadrel)
• Azerbaijani: təhrik etmək, rəvac vermək
• Bulgarian: подстрекавам (bg) (podstrekavam), предизвиквам (bg) (predizvikvam), провокирам (bg) (provokiram)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 煽動 (zh), 煽动 (zh) (shāndòng), 指使 (zh) (zhǐshǐ)

• Dutch: aanstichten (nl)
• Finnish: yllyttää (fi)
• French: inciter (fr), susciter (fr)

• German: anstiften (de), hetzen (de), anstacheln (de), anzetteln (de)
• Hungarian: felbujt (hu), provokál (hu), uszít (hu)
• Japanese: 煽動する (せんどうする, sendō suru)
• Korean: 부추기다 (ko) (buchugida)
• Latin: instigō
• Maori: whakatū, whakakīkī, whakaara
• Portuguese: instigar (pt)
• Russian: подстрека́ть (ru) (podstrekátʹ), подбива́ть (ru) (podbivátʹ), подгова́ривать (ru) (podgovárivatʹ)
• Slovak: podnecovať, nabádať, navádzať, naviesť, podnietiť
• Swedish: pressa fram, anstifta (sv)

Further reading

• “instigate” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “instigate” in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

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Esperanto

Adverb

instigate

1. present adverbial passive participle of instigi

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Latin

Verb

īnstīgāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of īnstīgō