invoke

verb

Save Word

in·voke | \ in-ˈvōk

invoked; invoking

Definition of invoke

transitive verb

1a : to petition for help or support

b : to appeal to or cite as authority

2 : to call forth by incantation : conjure

3 : to make an earnest request for : solicit

4 : to put into effect or operation : implement

5 : bring about, cause

Other Words from invoke Synonyms evoke or invoke? Example Sentences Learn More About invoke

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 invoke in a Sentence

Nietzsche is so complex that he can be invoked in support of many outlooks, some of them brutal or nihilistic. — Thomas Nagel, New Republic, 14 Jan. 2002 There are some people who commit murder as a way of invoking the death penalty. Capital punishment can sometimes, then, be equivalent to suicide. — George Freeman Solomon, People, 17 Jan. 1977 We began poring over the typewritten recipes at the dining room table, where I foolishly invoked the name of Julia Child … — Gael Greene, New York, 13 Sept. 1971 He invoked the memory of his predecessor. She invoked history to prove her point. He invoked his Fifth Amendment privileges. The suspect invoked his right to an attorney. invoke the authority of the court See More

Recent Examples on the Web The company’s filing appears to be the first to invoke the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposal in a legal battle over whether certain SPACs are really investment companies. — Chris Dolmetsch, Bloomberg.com, 31 Mar. 2022 The low-grazing shadows of the pasta shot invoke early morning or evening, due to the color of the light and angle of the shadows. — Stinson Carter, Wired, 14 July 2022 Case in point: these wavelike majolica tiles, which invoke the island surroundings of this midcentury villa on Capri. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, 11 July 2022 But outside experts on the secretive, authoritarian country suggest that the report is merely an attempt to shift blame for the outbreak and invoke fear and hatred of South Korea. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 1 July 2022 Sources told ABC News that Giuliani – who represented Trump during the Mueller investigation and led legal challenges to the 2020 election results across the country on Trump's behalf – did, at times, invoke attorney-client privilege. — Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 9 June 2022 Within two days, Tyson’s vice president and associate general counsel circulated a draft order that would invoke the president’s powers under a Korean War-era law called the Defense Production Act. — Michael Grabell, ProPublica, 13 May 2022 The tendency is at its most consequential when judges invoke history to help decide cases that can affect the lives of millions for generations. — Annette Gordon-reed, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2022 The stories, which invoke World War II-era heroism, are relayed by state television broadcasters and in local media. — Evan Gershkovich, WSJ, 4 May 2022 See More

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

Learn More About invoke

Dictionary Entries Near invoke

invoice

invoke

involatile

Statistics for invoke

Last Updated

7 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“Invoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invoke. Accessed 17 Aug. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for invoke

invoke

verb

in·voke | \ in-ˈvōk

invoked; invoking

Kids Definition of invoke

1 : to ask for aid or protection (as in prayer)

2 : to call forth by magic invoke spirits

3 : to appeal to as an authority or for support She invoked the Sunday rule as soon as he returned from the skateboard park and a family outing was launched.— Carl Hiaasen, Hoot

invoke

transitive verb

in·voke | \ in-ˈvōk

invoked; invoking