incitare

Incitare is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning to set in motion, urge on, excite, or provoke someone or something. It covers a range from neutral to pejorative uses, such as urging troops or stirring up passions. The principal parts are incito, incitare, incitavi, incitatus.

Etymology and range: the word comes from in- plus citāre, “to summon, call forth,” a root related to cito/citare “to summon.” The sense centers on eliciting a response by calling forth action. Related nouns include incitatio (the act of stirring up) and incitamentum (an incentive or motive).

Usage: in classical Latin incitare takes a direct object in the accusative for the thing or person urged, as in milites incitavit “he urged the soldiers” or hostes incitati sunt “the enemies were incited.” It can express stirring up groups, crowds, or passions and is found in political, military, and rhetorical contexts. The term can be used in neutral or negative senses, depending on the context and the speaker’s attitude toward the urged action.

Examples: Dux milites incitavit. Turba incitata est. (The general urged the soldiers. The incited crowd.)

Related terms: incitatio (stimulation, urging), incitamentum (incentive, motive), incitator (one who incites). In English, incite and incitement derive from the same Latin root.