incitation

IPA/ˌɪn.saɪˈteɪ.ʃən/
IPA/ˌɪn.saɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

incitation — noun

  • incitationsingular
  • incitationsplural

1. the act of deliberately encouraging or provoking someone to do something harmful

1.名詞C1
釋義

the act of deliberately encouraging or provoking someone to do something harmful, violent, or illegal — for example, urging a crowd to riot or pushing an individual to commit a crime.

例句

The protest leader was charged with incitation to violence after the rally turned destructive.

collocation: incitation to violence

Talia's online posts were seen as an incitation of hatred against the new community centre.

collocation: incitation of hatred

同義詞
  • incitement

    far more common word for the same concept; incitation is the rarer formal alternative

  • provocation

    stronger emotional charge, often implies anger or deliberate irritation

  • instigation

    more specific to plotting or secretly arranging an action

反義詞
  • deterrence

    the act of discouraging someone from acting

  • discouragement

    the act of reducing someone's confidence or willingness to act

文法句型

incitation + to + noun

incitation + of + noun

用法筆記

This sense is strongly associated with law and public order. Distinguish from incitement, which is far more common in everyday English; incitation is rarer and mostly appears in formal legal contexts. The object of incitation is typically negative (violence, hatred, rebellion, crime).

常見錯誤

❌The teacher's encouragement was an incitation to study harder.
✅The teacher's encouragement was an incentive to study harder.
💡incitation implies urging toward something harmful or negative, not positive motivation.
❌The article was an incitation for peace.
✅The article was an incitation to violence.
💡incitation is almost always followed by 'to' (not 'for') and names a negative outcome.

2. something that stirs or rouses a person to take action; a motivating factor or s

2.名詞C1
釋義

something that stirs or rouses a person to take action; a motivating factor or stimulus — for example, a reward that drives someone to work harder or a challenge that sparks creativity.

例句

The bonus pay was a strong incitation for the team to finish the project before the deadline.

collocation: incitation for [person] to [verb]

For Lara, the chance to travel abroad was the only incitation she needed to accept the job.

同義詞
  • incentive

    much more common in everyday use; incitation is the rarer formal version

  • stimulus

    more scientific or economic in tone

  • motivation

    broader, can be internal or external

反義詞
  • deterrent

    something that discourages or prevents action

  • disincentive

    a factor that makes someone less willing to act

文法句型

incitation + for + noun/pronoun

serve as an incitation

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (PROVOCATION), this sense is neutral or even positive — the incitation can be a reward, challenge, or any motivating factor. It is less common than the synonym incentive. Use 'for' or the infinitive to specify the goal.

常見錯誤

❌The new law was an incitation against tax fraud.
✅The new law was an incitation to comply with tax rules.
💡incitation (sense 2) points toward a desired action, not against something.