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Glite Dictionary
🧑‍✈️ Group members 💣 Irish militant group
Provos

Provos

9.9
A group in Northern Ireland that used violence against British forces to try to unite Ireland
  • noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : Provos
  • Many considered the Provos to be the most formidable paramilitary group during the Troubles.

Examples

  • The British government increased security in Belfast in response to attacks by the Provos.

  • Negotiations often stalled due to actions taken by the Provos against British targets.

  • The Provos were known for their guerrilla tactics.

  • Many historians study the actions of the Provos during the Troubles.

  • During the Troubles, the Provos were involved in a series of high-profile attacks against British forces.

  • Many people viewed the Provos as a key player in the campaign for Irish unification.

  • The actions of the Provos significantly influenced the political landscape of Northern Ireland.

Synonyms

Provisional Irish Republican Army
vsProvos
  • NSFW
8.8

An armed Irish group that used violence to end British rule in Northern Ireland

is the informal nickname used for the same militant group
Provisional IRA
vsProvos
  • NSFW
8.8

An armed Irish group that used violence to fight British troops in Northern Ireland and unite Ireland

is the informal nickname rather than the abbreviated formal name

Surface Forms

Provos singular
Provos plural

Morphology

Provos = Provo (semi-transparent) = Provo + s

The plural suffix '-s' is a regular formation, but the base 'Provo' is a clipped political nickname (from 'Provisional'/'Provisional IRA') whose meaning requires specific historical/political knowledge.

Etymology

Provos comes from the Provisional in 'Provisional Irish Republican Army' because people shortened Provisional to Provo and then used Provos for the whole group. So Provos refers to that militant organisation.