# instigator

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɪnstɪɡeɪtə/ · frequency rank #43,718

## Definitions
1. A person who intentionally instigates, incites, or starts something, especially one that creates trouble.

## Etymology
From Latin īnstīgātor (“stimulator”), from īnstīgāre (present infinitive of īnstīgō (“to incite, set on, stimulate, rouse or urge”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp, to stab; to puncture; to goad”)) + -or (from -ō (suffix forming masculine agent nouns), from Proto-Indo-European *-h₃onh₂- (suffix forming nouns denoting authority or burden)); cognate with French instigateur. By surface analysis, instigate + -or.

## Easily confused with
- **investigator** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/instigator-vs-investigator)
- **instigate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/instigate-vs-instigator)
- **initiator** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/initiator-vs-instigator)
- **instigation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/instigation-vs-instigator)

## Common misspellings (15)
`innstigator`, `insitgator`, `insstigator`, `instgiator`, `instiagtor`, `instigaotr`, `instigatorr`, `instigatro`, `instigattor`, `instiggator`, `instigtaor`, `insttigator`, `intsigator`, `isntigator`, `nistigator`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/instigator