Word Nerd Alert: Incendiary

Adjective · \in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē\

igniting combustible materials spontaneously

of, relating to, or being a weapon (such as a bomb) designed to start fires

tending to excite or inflame; inflammatory

“incendiary speeches”

Roots

borrowed from Late Latin incendiārius "designed to start a fire," from Latin incendium "destructive fire, conflagration" (from incendere "to set on fire, kindle" + -ium, suffix of compound verb derivatives) + -ārius -ary

Close cousins

agitator, arsonist

First known use

15th century