invocation
noun
in·vo·ca·tion
ˌin-və-ˈkā-shən 
1
a
: the act or process of petitioning for help or support
specifically, often capitalized
: a prayer of entreaty (as at the beginning of a service of worship)
b
: a calling upon for authority or justification
2
: a formula for conjuring : incantation
3
: an act of legal or moral implementation : enforcement
Examples of invocation in a Sentence
his repeated invocations of the ancient philosophers
justifying his position by invocation of the past
The poem begins with an invocation of the Muses.
They began the meeting with an invocation.
Recent Examples on the Web
The rulings centered on Trump's unprecedented invocation of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act as a legal justification for levies.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 June 2025
Many people have been deported as a result of Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which grants the president authority to deport noncitizens without appearing before a judge, among other wartime authorities.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
After Giddens offered a sort of one-song invocation for the night, the Bowl show really got off to a start with an hour-long reunion set by Our Native Daughters, the supergroup that Giddens formed in the late 2010s with Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah and Leyla McCalla.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2025
But the real affront is his invocation of his predecessor’s name as a shorthand for the worst possible outcome for his own bad habits.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for invocation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 June 2025
Many people have been deported as a result of Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which grants the president authority to deport noncitizens without appearing before a judge, among other wartime authorities.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
After Giddens offered a sort of one-song invocation for the night, the Bowl show really got off to a start with an hour-long reunion set by Our Native Daughters, the supergroup that Giddens formed in the late 2010s with Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah and Leyla McCalla.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2025
But the real affront is his invocation of his predecessor’s name as a shorthand for the worst possible outcome for his own bad habits.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for invocation
Cite this Entry
“Invocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invocation. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
invocation
noun
in·vo·ca·tion
ˌin-və-ˈkā-shən
1
a
: the act or process of asking for help or support
b
: a prayer for blessing or guidance (as at the beginning of a religious service)
2
: a formula for calling forth spirits or performing magic : incantation
Legal Definition
invocation
noun
in·vo·ca·tion
ˌin-və-ˈkā-shən
1
: a calling upon for authority or justification
2
: an act of legal implementation
an invocation of the contract clause
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