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instigateur

instigator, ringleader

noun an-stee-gah-TUHR Rare
People & Society Crime

Origin: Latin instigator, one who urges on

Usage Note

Instigateur refers to the person who initiates or incites an action, often a negative one like a plot or crime. The feminine form is instigatrice. The related verb instiguer is rarer; more common is the phrase à l'instigation de ('at the instigation of').

Examples

"Il était l'instigateur du complot."

Natural Translation

He was the instigator of the plot.

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