From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprovocationprov‧o‧ca‧tion /ˌprɒvəˈkeɪʃən $ ˌprɑː-/ noun [countable, uncountable] CAUSEan action or event that makes someone angry or upset, or is intended to do this → provokewithout provocation She claims that Graham attacked her without any provocation. He was accused of deliberate provocation. Julie has a tendency to burst into tears at the slightest provocation.
Examples from the Corpus
provocation• But Didion is interested in root causes, not in immediate provocations.• Thus, if the mandatory penalty were abolished, it would be sufficient to take account of provocation when sentencing for murder.• Horbury denies murder on grounds of provocation.• Although there was no question of rising to it, the means of provocation were ingenious.• I shall recommend ways of keeping cool in the face of severe provocation.• Keyes refused to speculate on either the provocations or the order of the deaths.• But much of it was due to provocation from the students whose ranks had been infiltrated by revolutionaries seeking a violent reaction.• Carter claims that she attacked him without provocation.deliberate provocation• He knew that Sharpe's insults were more than mere anger, but a deliberate provocation to a duel.• We are virtually certain that this incident was a deliberate provocation.• The company's been accused of deliberate provocation. 