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Provocative: meaning, example and synonyms

Provocativeadj. Intended or likely to provoke strong reaction, debate, or thought.

Flashcard for Provocative (adjective): intended or likely to provoke strong reaction, debate, or thought. Example: The lecturer opened with a deliberately provocative claim, that most archives distort more than they preserve, to spur the seminar into debate. Synonyms: challenging, stimulating, inflammatory, controversial. Antonyms: bland, innocuous, uncontroversial, inoffensive. Memory tip: Provocative things provoke: they spark argument or thought. Illustration: a lecturer in a blazer at the front of a seminar room while students lean forward and raise their hands eagerly to argue, a blank board behind; people drawn naturally and fully clothed, no logos, signs, flags, written words or sound effects.

Example

The lecturer opened with a deliberately provocative claim, that most archives distort more than they preserve, to spur the seminar into debate.

Part of speech
adjective
Synonyms
challenging, stimulating, inflammatory, controversial
Antonyms
bland, innocuous, uncontroversial, inoffensive
Memory tip
Provocative things provoke: they spark argument or thought.

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Check yourself: Provocative in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

The artist's most ______ installation, a pile of discarded uniforms in the museum lobby, drew protests and heated editorials for weeks.

Question 2

The essay's ______ thesis, that most scientific revolutions are driven by funding rather than by ideas, sparked a lively debate among the faculty.

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