adjective
incendiary
ihn-SEHN-dih-uhr-ee
adjective
1
Designed to or capable of starting a fire.
"The building was destroyed by an incendiary device."
2
Deliberately provocative; likely to stir up anger, conflict, or unrest.
"His incendiary remarks about the election sparked outrage online."
noun
1
A weapon or device designed to cause fire.
"The bunker was hit with incendiaries during the raid."
How to Use Incendiary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither literally fire-starting, or figuratively inflammatory — stirring up trouble.
Common pairings
incendiary device
incendiary comments
incendiary rhetoric
Word Forms
more incendiary comparative, incendiaries plural, most incendiary superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “incendiary”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The building was destroyed by an _____ device.
Etymology
From Latin incendiarius, "setting alight," from incendium, "a fire," ultimately from candeo, "to be hot" — the same root as "candle" and "incandescent."