incendiary claim
- noun
- /ɪnˈsɛndiˌɛri kleɪm/
- Literature
:
afirmación incendiaria
- One particularly incendiary claim she makes is that formula feeding leads to child abuse, citing this study (although she cleverly links several other publications that mention the study, effectively making it look like she has "numerous studies" to back this claim, though they're all actually the same study).
So I don't think it's, I don't think it's harsh to want some evidence to support such incendiary claims.
- So I don't think it's, I don't think it's harsh to want some evidence to support such incendiary claims.
Examples
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One particularly incendiary claim she makes is that formula feeding leads to child abuse, citing this study.
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One of the most incendiary claims Jones will make is that the government may have had advance warning of a terrorist plot.
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The most incendiary claim in the Steele dossier was, of course, that a foreign adversary, Russia, has dirt on the President of the United States.
Synonyms
58
7.2
An action or comment that makes someone react, often making them angry
1
6.1
A rude or extreme remark that shocks people
Antonyms
How Provocative
- Literature
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'incendiary' means provoking strong emotional reactions and 'claim' is a statement, so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a statement intended to provoke controversy or anger. This adjective+noun combination is semantically regular and parallels patterns in other languages, making the meaning predictable for learners.
Etymology
Incendiary claim comes from the image of a statement that acts like a fire-starter. Incendiary means something that starts fires and a claim is a statement, so imagine a remark that throws a spark into a crowd and starts a big reaction, which is why it means 'a statement that causes strong anger or controversy'.