inflammatory

adjective

in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce inflammatory (audio)
1
: tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult : seditious
2
: tending to inflame or excite the senses
3
: accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation
inflammatorily adverb

Examples of inflammatory in a Sentence

She had an acute inflammatory reaction to the drug. He incited the mob with an inflammatory speech.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the same time, Stella also got bullied for her seborrheic dermatitis, a different inflammatory skin condition that cropped up on her scalp and created visible patches of flaky skin. Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Oct. 2025 There are currently two clinical programs underway, with one being led by its partner Eli Lilly for an autoimmune and inflammatory disorder treatment called Ocadusertib. Michelle Fox, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025 Called Indomo, the company has developed an at-home mode of delivery for the steroid injection, which currently can only be administered in-office by dermatologists and is known to rapidly treat cystic and inflammatory acne. Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025 Why Endometriosis Symptoms Persist After Menopause Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition that occurs when endometrial-like tissue grows outside of the uterus. Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inflammatory

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inflammatory was circa 1711

Cite this Entry

“Inflammatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflammatory. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

inflammatory

adjective
in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry in-ˈflam-ə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce inflammatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
1
: stirring up anger, disorder, or rebellion
inflammatory speeches
2
: causing or accompanied by inflammation
inflammatory diseases

Medical Definition

inflammatory

adjective
in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry in-ˈflam-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- How to pronounce inflammatory (audio)
: accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation
inflammatory diseases

Legal Definition

inflammatory

noun
in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry
in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtōr-ē
: tending to cause anger, animosity, or indignation
the use of an alias by a defendant is…almost always inflammatoryF. D. Doucette

Note: Evidence, and especially photographic evidence, may be deemed inadmissible if its inflammatory nature seriously outweighs its probative value or relevance. The mere fact that evidence is graphic or gruesome, however, is not enough to render it inadmissible.

More from Merriam-Webster on inflammatory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!