noun

Anstifter

instigator

Definition & meaning

An "Anstifter" is a person who incites, instigates, or provokes someone else to commit a specific act, typically one that is illegal, harmful, or mischievous. In a legal context, it refers to an individual who intentionally induces another person to commit a crime. While the Anstifter may not physically perform the act themselves, they are often held legally or morally responsible as the mastermind or primary motivator behind the deed.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a masculine noun. The feminine form is die Anstifterin and the plural is die Anstifter.

It is derived from the verb anstiften, which is composed of the prefix an- (indicating the start or direction of an action) and the verb stiften. While stiften in modern German often means to donate or to establish, its older usage in this compound refers to bringing something about or causing something to happen.