invoke
verb
\
Definition of invoke
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
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for invoke
Synonyms
beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of invoke in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wayne LaPierre, the group’s chief executive, invoked the phrase after the 2012 massacre of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school. — Frances Stead Sellers, Washington Post, "Two Oklahoma citizens killed an active shooter, and it's not as simple as it sounds," 13 July 2018 Photo: Associated Press One day after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, NATO for the first time invoked Article 5, the mutual-defense provision of the treaty. — Michael R. Gordon, WSJ, "NATO’s 2% Target: Why the U.S. Pushed Allies to Spend More on the Military," 12 July 2018 Facing possible criminal prosecution, Levandowski invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid testifying in the civil lawsuit between Waymo and Uber. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Exec accused of stealing Waymo’s trade secrets starts new self-driving company," 3 July 2018 Finally, Sotomayor invoked Korematsu v United States, a landmark 1944 ruling which held that rounding up Japanese Americans on the basis of their race and forcing them into detention camps was constitutional. — Anne Branigin, The Root, "Sonia Sotomayor Reads the Supreme Court's Travel Ban Decision for Filth," 26 June 2018 Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, invoked the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during his sermon, which was watched by millions around the world. — Shelia Poole, ajc, "Bishop Michael Curry, who spoke at royal wedding, speaks in Atlanta this fall," 20 June 2018 Brown’s third and fourth claims invoke Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, better known as the Civil Rights Act. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Inside Sterling Brown’s compelling lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department and City of Milwaukee," 19 June 2018 With the exception of Collins, these women either explicitly or implicitly invoked their motherhood, as though this bestows a particular moral authority on them. — Sarah Jones, The New Republic, "Motherhood and the Morality of Trump’s Immigration Policy," 18 June 2018 The activist group Voto Latino invoked the upcoming Father’s Day holiday in its Thursday event with multiple lawmakers. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "“Families Belong Together” rallies protesting family separation at the border, in tweets," 15 June 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about invoke
Statistics for invoke
Last Updated
20 Sep 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for invoke
The first known use of invoke was in the 15th century
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for invoke
invoke
verb
English Language Learners Definition of invoke
: to mention (someone or something) in an attempt to make people feel a certain way or have a certain idea in their mind
: to refer to (something) in support of your ideas
: to make use of (a law, a right, etc.)
See the full definition for invoke in the English Language Learners Dictionary
invoke
verb
\
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
\
Legal Definition of invoke
1 : to appeal to as furnishing authority or motive
2 : to put into legal effect or call for the observance of : enforce invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege
3 : to introduce or put into operation invoking economic sanctions
4 : to be the cause of regulations that invoke problems in enforcement
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on invoke
What made you want to look up invoke? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Food Quiz
-
- Name these cookies!
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share invoke
Resources for invoke