Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "foment" []

  • To promote the growth of; incite. (verb-transitive)
  • To treat (the skin, for example) by fomentation. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "foment" in a sentence
  • "That money should have gone to build up schools and foment democracy (Sen. Obama: please do not use the word "foment" - I'm not sure what it means)."
  • "Speak platitudes in English, foment terrorism in Arabic and the United States will apply pressure to fellow democracies over and against those who rule by bullets rather than ballots. ""
  • "Putting aside for the moment my surprise that Dubya even knows the meaning of the word "foment," I think a GOP talking point i.e., what Tony Snow will say will be that Dubya said Friedman could be right, not that he actually was right."