incendiary

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈsɛn.di.ɛɹ.i/ UK /ɪnˈsɛn.dɪ.əɹ.i/ See IPA manual

Freq #27377

Meanings

1

adj
capable of catching fire spontaneously or causing fires or burning readily

An incendiary agent.
2

adj
involving deliberate burning of property

An incendiary fire.
3

adj
Of a damaging fire, intentionally caused rather than accidental.

The Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the fire was incendiary in origin; that is, it was not accidental and that it was either intentionally or recklessly set by the accused.
4

adj
Inflammatory, emotionally charged.

Politics is an incendiary topic; it tends to cause fights to break out.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms anti-incendiaryincendiarismincendiaristincendigelnonincendiary

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

incendiary bomb
a bomb designed primarily to start fires

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Incendiary entered English in the late Middle Ages and comes from Latin incendere, meaning “to set fire to.” The same Latin source lies behind the verb incense in its sense “to inflame with anger.”

Etymology

From Middle English incendiarie, from Old French incendiaire, from Latin incendiārius (“setting alight”), from incendium (“destructive fire”), from incendō (“to set on fire, kindle”), from in- (“into, in, on, upon”) + candeō (“to be hot”).

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# incendiary

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈsɛn.di.ɛɹ.i/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈsɛn.dɪ.əɹ.i/
**Frequency rank:** 27377

## Meanings
1. capable of catching fire spontaneously or causing fires or burning readily
2. involving deliberate burning of property
3. Of a damaging fire, intentionally caused rather than accidental.
4. Inflammatory, emotionally charged.

## Examples
- An incendiary agent.
- An incendiary fire.
- The Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the fire was incendiary in origin; that is, it was not accidental and that it was either intentionally or recklessly set by the accused.
- Politics is an incendiary topic; it tends to cause fights to break out.

## Derived Forms
- anti-incendiary
- incendiarism
- incendiarist
- incendigel
- nonincendiary

## Etymology
From Middle English incendiarie, from Old French incendiaire, from Latin incendiārius (“setting alight”), from incendium (“destructive fire”), from incendō (“to set on fire, kindle”), from in- (“into, in, on, upon”) + candeō (“to be hot”).

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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