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in·cite

(ĭn-sīt)

tr.v. in·cit·ed, in·cit·ing, in·cites

To provoke and urge on: troublemakers who incite riots; inciting workers to strike. See Synonyms at provoke.

[Middle English encyten, from Old French enciter, from Latin incitāre, to urge forward : in-, intensive pref.; see IN-² + citāre, to stimulate, frequentative of ciēre, to put in motion; see keiə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

in·citement n.

in·citer n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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