Instigations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of provoking or inciting someone to take action or behave in a certain way
2. Encouragement of a particular action or event, often with a connotation of stirring up dissent or unrest
3. The process of initiating or instigating actions or policies, often leading to significant consequences

Etymology: "Instigations" is simply the plural of "instigation," which is a noun meaning the act of urging someone on or provoking an action. The noun comes from Latin "instīgātio," the act of goading or spurring, which passed into Old French as "instigacïon" and then into Middle English as "instigacioun." Its Latin root "instīgāre" carried the sense of pricking or goading an animal forward, so the word's earliest picture is one of spurring a creature on rather than persuading a person. The plural form simply counts separate acts of prodding someone toward a course of action, so "instigations" refers to several such incitements, such as repeated urgings or multiple provocations that set something in motion.

Synonyms: provocations, incitements