instigator

An instigator is a person who initiates or encourages others to take action, often by urging, provoking, or spurring a course of conduct. The term is used in various contexts to describe someone who starts trouble, seeds a conflict, or prompts a particular reaction. Etymology traces to the Latin instigare, meaning to spur on or excite.

In legal contexts, instigation can refer to the act of encouraging the commission of a crime. Depending on the jurisdiction, an instigator may be charged as an accessory, accomplice, or otherwise held liable if their encouragement or facilitation meaningfully contributed to the offense. The precise legal classification and penalties vary by law and jurisdiction.

In everyday speech, an instigator may be described as the person who begins an argument, a dispute, or a chain of events. The label often carries a negative connotation, but it can be used descriptively without moral judgment in analytic or journalistic writing. The concept is also used in organizational and social settings to discuss how individuals influence group dynamics, mobilize movements, or provoke reactions.

Related terms include inciter, provocateur, and instigation (the noun form). Distinctions are sometimes made between an instigator who merely provokes and a principal offender who directly carries out harmful actions, though liability can extend to those who knowingly facilitate the outcome.