unprovoked

[/ˌʌnprəˈvoʊkt/]
adjective
sem provocação
1. done or occurring without any cause or justification; not prompted by any action or words from another person
The attack was unprovoked and completely unexpected.
O ataque foi sem provocação e completamente inesperado.
2. not incited or stimulated by external factors or circumstances
His unprovoked anger alarmed everyone in the room.
Sua raiva sem provocação alarmou todos na sala.
The term 'unprovoked' is frequently used in legal and journalistic contexts in both American and Brazilian English to describe acts of violence or aggression that lack justification. In Brazil, it's commonly used in crime reporting (crime sem provocação) and legal proceedings. In American culture, it's often emphasized in self-defense discussions and legal cases to establish innocence or culpability.
NYC Slang
out of nowhere; unprovoked beef (conflict)
Synonyms / Sinônimos
unjustifiedunprompteduncalled-forgroundlessunwarrantedbaseless
Antonyms / Antônimos
provokedjustifiedwarrantedpromptedinstigated

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
sem provocação
Most common and standard usage
General Brazilian
imotivado
Alternative formal usage, emphasizing lack of motive
Portugal
não provocado
Literal translation more commonly used in European Portuguese
Portugal
infundado
Used for groundless or unjustified contexts

Related Words

provocationprovokeprovokedaggressionassaultjustified

Related Idioms & Phrases

unprovoked attack
unprovoked aggression
without provocation
out of the blue
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