incendiary
English · Thesaurus
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incendiary
- /ɪnˈsɛn.dɪ.əɹ.i/ UK
- /ɪnˈsɛn.djəɹ.i/ UK
- /ɪnˈsɛn.di.ɛɹ.i/ US
- /ɪnˈsɛn.di.əɹ.i/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English incendiarie, from Old French incendiaire, from Latin incendiārius (“setting alight”), from incendium (“destructive fire”), from incendō (“to set on fire, kindle”), from in- (“into, in, on, upon”) + candeō (“to be hot”).
adjective more incendiary · most incendiary
- Capable of, or used for, or actually causing fire. Driving 2-6-2 locomotive No. 4771 Green Arrow, Blunt suddenly noticed that the tunnel mouth was silhouetted in a dazzling white glare and that incendiary bombs were showering down in their hundreds, he slammed on all his brakes and brought his train to a stop just inside the tunnel.
- Of a damaging fire, intentionally caused rather than accidental. The Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the fire was incendiary in origin; that is, it was not accidental and that it was either intentionally or recklessly set by the accused.
- Intentionally stirring up strife, riot, rebellion. Earlier that year Italian Jews had come under serious attack when an incendiary publication, Gli ebrei in Italia (The Jews in Italy), had flooded the bookshops. The author, Paolo Orano, was a Fascist publicist whose book helped to harden Italian public sensibility against the Jews and pave the way f
- Inflammatory, emotionally charged. Politics is an incendiary topic; it tends to cause fights to break out.
noun incendiaries
- Something capable of causing fire, particularly a weapon. The military used incendiaries to destroy the building. Fortunately, the fire didn't spread.
-
One who maliciously sets fires.
Similar: arsonist
-
One who excites or inflames factions into quarrels.
March 7, 1692, Richard Bentley, The Folly of Atheism
Several cities […] drove them out as incendiaries.
Similar: agitator
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: combustible, arsonist, inflammatory, incitive, instigative, rabble-rousing, provocative, seditious, firebug, incendiary bomb, flammable, inflammable, combustion, hot, petrol, catastrophic
Translations
Every language
adj capable of causing fire
| 中文 | 放火的 fànghuǒ de |
|---|---|
| Português | incendiário |
| Français | incendiaire |
| Deutsch | Brand-, entzündlich, entflammbar |
| Italiano | incendiario |
| Русский | зажига́тельный zažigátelʹnyj |
adj intentionally stirring up strife, riot, rebellion
| Deutsch | aufrührerisch, aufwieglerisch, hetzerisch |
|---|---|
| Русский | подстрека́ющий podstrekájuščij, разжига́ющий razžigájuščij, подстрека́тельский podstrekátelʹskij |
| العربية | تَحْرِيضِيّ taḥrīḍiyy |
adj inflammatory, emotionally charged
| 中文 | 煽動性的 /煽动性的 shāndòngxìng de |
|---|---|
| Português | inflamado, acalorado |
| Deutsch | Reiz- |
noun instigator
| Русский | подстрека́тель podstrekátelʹ, подстрека́тельница podstrekátelʹnica |
|---|
noun something capable of causing fire
| Deutsch | Brandbombe |
|---|---|
| Русский | зажига́тельный боеприпа́с zažigátelʹnyj bojepripás |
Talk about this word "incendiary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/incendiary. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. incendiary. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/incendiary "incendiary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/incendiary.Cite this
@misc{incendiary_2026,
title = {incendiary},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/incendiary},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
