evoke

play

verb \ i-ˈvōk \

Definition of evoke

evoked; evoking

transitive verb

1 :to call forth or up: such as

a :conjure 2a

evoke evil spirits

b :to cite especially with approval or for support :invoke

c :to bring to mind or recollection

this place evokes memories

2 :to re-create imaginatively

See evoke defined for English-language learners

See evoke defined for kids

Examples of evoke in a Sentence

The old house evoked memories of his childhood.
His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.

Recent Examples of evoke from the Web

Each of these individuals have come together with distinct stories and different, unique backgrounds, yet when woven together, help evoke the message that Katy wants to convey with Indi.

— rachel jacoby zoldan, Teen Vogue, "Blake Von D on Starring in Katy Perry’s New Indi Fragrance Campaign," 17 Aug. 2017
While the junior high teacher expected the woman to talk about the deplorable conditions of living in a communist country, many of items in the box evoked fond memories of her home.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "What I did on my summer vacation," 11 Aug. 2017
But there is a revolution and a revelation lurking in these childlike elements—a demonstration that the immaterial stuff of time can be evoked through the most material of forms.

— The Economist, "Alexander Calder made time a sculptural medium," 22 July 2017
Trump's criticisms left virtually no one in contact with the investigation untouched, providing a glimpse of the visceral anger that the probe often evokes in him.

— abby phillip, chicagotribune.com, "Trump blasts Sessions in NYT interview for recusing himself from Russia probe," 19 July 2017
Trump's criticisms left virtually no one in contact with the investigation untouched, providing a glimpse of the visceral anger that the probe often evokes in him.

— abby phillip, Washington Post, "Trump blasts AG Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe," 19 July 2017
Some readers will be aghast that chapters end with bullet-point summaries and questions, evoking the worst of unctuous business tomes.

— The Economist, "A new way to workWhat will business technology look like tomorrow?," 13 July 2017
Spaceflight generally evokes visions of giant rockets with fiery tails erupting off the pad at Cape Canaveral and flying out beyond the atmosphere.

— shannon stirone, Popular Mechanics, "Starshot: Inside the Ludicrous Plan to Send a Spacecraft to Our Neighbor Star," 11 July 2017
SHOP NOW: $138, toddsnyder.com Inspired by a 1970s-style watch from the Timex archives, and updated with a modern blackout palette, this new timepiece evokes the noir-ish glamour of vintage Formula One racing and midcentury Monaco Casinos.

— scott christian, Esquire, "Todd Snyder and Timex Are Back With Another Awesome (and Affordable!) Watch," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evoke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of evoke

French évoquer, from Latin evocare, from e- + vocare to call — more at vocation

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1622

See Words from the same year

evoke Synonyms

Synonyms

elicit, educe, inspire, raise

Related Words

drag, dredge (up), extort, extract, pull, wangle, wrest, wring; coax (out), gain, get, obtain, procure, secure; bare, disclose, discover, divulge, evince, expose, reveal, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil

Near Antonyms

disregard, forget, ignore, miss, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over

Synonym Discussion of evoke

educe, evoke, elicit, extract, extort mean to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved. educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.

- educed order out of chaos

evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory.

- a song that evokes warm memories

elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response.

- careful questioning elicited the truth

extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information.

- extracted a confession from him

extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly.

- extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

Other Occult Terms

augury, censor, invocation, lucidity, metempsychosis, mojo, numinous, preternatural, weird, wraith

EVOKE Defined for English Language Learners

evoke

play

verb

Definition of evoke for English Language Learners

: to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind
: to cause (a particular reaction or response) to happen

EVOKE Defined for Kids

evoke

play

verb \ i-ˈvōk \

Definition of evoke for Students

evoked; evoking

:to bring to mind The photos evoked memories of our trip.

Word Root of evoke

The Latin word vox, meaning “voice,” and the related word vocāre, meaning “to call”, give us the root voc or vok. Words from the Latin vox or vocāre have something to do with the voice or with calling. Anything vocal is produced by the voice. A vocation is the work that someone is called to do as a job. To evoke is to call forth. To invoke is to call on for aid or protection. To provoke is to call forth another's anger. The word voice also has vox as its root.