invoked; invoking

transitive verb

1
a
: 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
invoker noun

Did you know?

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump’s team has already made sweeping use of federal powers, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act earlier this year to justify the rapid deportation of more than 230 migrants to El Salvador, where they are being held in a massive prison. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2025 Islamabad's statement, invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter, clearly signals both a desire to operate within the framework of international law and a warning that restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 The act, which allows the government to remove citizens if there is an invasion into U.S. territory, has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. Greg Myre, NPR, 6 May 2025 The president has invoked the act on the theory that trade imbalances are a national emergency. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for invoke

Word History

Etymology

Middle English envoken, from Middle French invoquer, from Latin invocare, from in- + vocare to call, from voc-, vox voice — more at voice

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of invoke was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Invoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invoke. Accessed 12 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

invoked; invoking
1
: to call on for aid or protection (as in prayer)
2
: to call forth by magic : conjure
invoke spirits
3
: to appeal to as an authority or for support
invoke a law

Legal Definition

invoke

transitive verb
invoked; invoking
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

More from Merriam-Webster on invoke

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!