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evoke or invoke?
Don’t feel bad if you have difficulty remembering the difference between evoke and invoke, as the words are quite similar in many ways and have considerable overlap in meaning. However, the words do differ, and you would not want to substitute one for the other. Invoke is used of putting into effect or calling upon such things as laws, authority, or privilege (“the principal invoked a rule forbidding students from asking questions”). Evoke is primarily used in the sense “to call forth or up” and is often found in connection with such things as memories, emotions, or sympathy.
Examples of evoke in a Sentence
Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 28 Nov. 2025
There is no place like an inviting home sanctuary where everything evokes joy and comfort.
—Stacey Zable, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
Sprezzatura was a north star for court dressing and demeanor, a type of performative nonchalance that the elite could evoke and could — maybe — trickle down to the non-aristocratic classes as well, Lisby explained.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
The Reynor desk—priced at $8,010—and Luxe desk chair, for $3,495, evoke sleek, minimalistic vibes, a far cry from the 150-year-old Resolute Desk long associated with the office, after it was used by numerous presidents.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for evoke
Cite this Entry
“Evoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evoke. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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