Encouraged or persuaded someone to do something, often something troublesome or wrong.
From Latin 'instigare,' combining 'in-' (into) and 'stigare' (to prick/goad). Originally meant to drive forward like poking an animal.
The root meaning 'to prick or goad' is perfect because when you instigate, you're basically poking someone into action—pushing them toward something they might not have done alone!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.