instigate

/'instigeit/

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Thân thiện

The teacher instigates a lively classroom discussion.

Definition

Verb:
- To cause or encourage something to happen, especially something bad or violent: To deliberately provoke or initiate an action, often one that is negative or disruptive.
- To urge or persuade someone to do something, especially something wrong: To incite or prompt someone to take a specific, often undesirable, action.

Usage and Examples

Verb:
- The article was accused of trying to instigate public panic. (The article was accused of deliberately trying to cause public fear.)
- He was charged with instigating a riot. (He was formally accused of being the one who provoked the riot to start.)
- She instigated a review of the company's policies. (She caused a formal review to begin, implying she pushed for it to happen.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

Legal and Formal Contexts: "Instigate" is often used in legal, political, or formal reports to describe the deliberate provocation of illegal or disruptive acts. It carries a strong connotation of being the original, deliberate cause.
- The investigation aimed to find out who instigated the corruption scheme.
Neutral/Positive Contexts: While typically negative, it can be used in a more neutral sense for initiating significant change or inquiry.
- The new CEO instigated a wave of innovation within the stagnant company.

Variants and Related Words

Instigation (noun): The act of instigating; incitement.
- The protest happened at his instigation.
Instigator (noun): A person who instigates something.
- She was identified as the main instigator of the plot.

Synonyms

Incite: To encourage violent or unlawful behavior. (Often interchangeable, but "instigate" can imply a more secretive or behind-the-scenes role.)
Provoke: To stimulate or give rise to a reaction, typically a strong or unwelcome one.
Foment: To instigate or stir up (undesirable sentiment or action).
Prompt: To cause someone to take a course of action. (Less negative than "instigate".)

Phrasal Verbs / Common Collocations

To instigate something: This is the standard construction. It is a transitive verb and is not commonly used in phrasal verb forms.
- Common direct objects: instigate violence, instigate change, instigate an investigation, instigate a revolt, instigate proceedings.

Related Idioms

To be the instigating force/factor: To be the primary cause that sets events in motion.
- His inflammatory speech was the instigating factor in the clash.
Act as an instigator: To take on the role of someone who provokes action.
- In every group, there's usually someone who acts as an instigator.

The teacher instigates a lively classroom discussion.

Verb

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