Legal Definitions - inciteful

Inciteful describes something, such as speech or writing, that has a strong tendency or clear intention to provoke, stir up, or encourage others to take a particular action. This action is often unlawful, violent, or disruptive, and the term implies a deliberate attempt to rouse emotions or behaviors.

• Example 1: A website administrator posts a detailed guide on how to illegally trespass onto private property and disable security systems, explicitly urging readers to "take back what's rightfully yours" from a specific corporation.

  Explanation: This guide is inciteful because its content is designed to provoke and instruct people to engage in specific unlawful acts (trespassing and property damage) against a targeted entity, aiming to stir up direct action.

• Example 2: During a heated public debate, a speaker repeatedly claims that a certain ethnic group is responsible for all the community's problems and that "it's time to make them leave," leading to an immediate increase in harassment incidents targeting that group.

  Explanation: The speaker's statements are inciteful because they deliberately stir up animosity and encourage listeners to act hostilely towards a specific ethnic group, even if the speaker doesn't explicitly call for violence, the clear implication is to provoke harmful action.

• Example 3: An online forum user posts a message encouraging others to gather at a public official's home address to "demand answers" and "show them what real anger looks like," knowing that such a gathering could easily escalate into intimidation or violence.

  Explanation: This message is inciteful because it aims to provoke a potentially disruptive and intimidating gathering at a private residence, encouraging actions that could easily lead to harassment or unlawful behavior against a public official.