instigate

Borrowed from Latin īnstīgātus, perfect passive participle of īnstīgō (“to instigate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪnstəɡeɪt/

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

1. (transitive) To bring about by urging or encouraging.

   Synonyms: foment, provoke

   to instigate a riot

   to instigate a change

   • 1988 February 14, Elizabeth Pincus, “Arizona Impeaches Right-Wing Governor”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 30, page 1:

     In light of growing outrage against Mecham, House special counsel William French instigated an investigation into the governor's affairs last fall.

   • 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.

   Synonyms: animate, encourage, impel, incite, provoke, spur, stimulate, tempt, urge

   Antonyms: halt, prevent, stop

   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:

     He hath only instigated his blackest agents to the very extent of their malignity.

• “instigate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “instigate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

instigate

1. present adverbial passive participle of instigi

īnstīgāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of īnstīgō

instigate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of instigar combined with te