Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Language: French
Origin: 'provoking agent'

agent provocateur

 noun
     
Related topics: Government
a‧gent pro‧voc‧a‧teur plural agents provocateurs (same pronunciation) [countable]
PG someone who is employed to encourage people who are working against a government to do something illegal so that they are caught
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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