First Known Use: 1877
Dictionary
agent provocateur
noun agent pro·vo·ca·teur \ˈä-ˌzhäⁿ-prō-ˌvä-kə-ˈtər, ˈā-jənt-\
: a person employed to encourage people to break the law so that they can be arrested
plural agents provocateurs \ˈä-ˌzhäⁿ-prō-ˌvä-kə-ˈtər, ˈā-jən(t)s-prō-\
Full Definition of AGENT PROVOCATEUR
: one employed to associate with suspected persons and by pretending sympathy with their aims to incite them to some incriminating action
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Origin of AGENT PROVOCATEUR
French, literally, provoking agent
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