different between provocative vs provocation

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French provocatif, and its source, Late Latin provocativus, from Latin provocare.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /p???v?k.?.t?v/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /p???v?k.?.t?v/

Adjective

provocative (comparative more provocative, superlative most provocative)

1. Serving or tending to elicit a strong, often negative sentiment in another person; exasperating.
2. Serving or tending to excite, stimulate or arouse sexual interest; sexy.

Related terms

• provoke
• provocation
• provocator

Related terms

• provocateur

Translations

Noun

provocative (plural provocatives)

1. (obsolescent) Something that provokes an appetite, especially a sexual appetite; an aphrodisiac. [from 15th c.]
   • 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of the Life of Sally Salisbury:

     She used by way of Provocative, to read the wanton Verses of her Paramour in the day time [...].

Latin

Adjective

pr?voc?t?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of pr?voc?t?vus

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French provocacion, from Late Latin provocatio, provocationem, from Latin provoco. Doublet of provokatsiya.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p??v??ke???n/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??v??ke???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n
• Hyphenation: prov?o?ca?tion

Noun

provocation (countable and uncountable, plural provocations)

1. The act of provoking, inciting or annoying someone into doing something
2. Something that provokes; a provocative act
3. (emergency medicine) The second step in OPQRST regarding the investigation of what makes the symptoms MOI or NOI improve or deteriorate.

   When it's time to check for provocation ask the patient about what makes their chief complaint better or worse.

Related terms

• provocateur
• provocator
• provoke

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin provocatio, provocationem, from Latin provoco.

Pronunciation

Noun

provocation f (plural provocations)

1. provocation

Related terms

• provocateur
• provoquer

Further reading

• “provocation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).