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

invocational

ˌin-və-ˈkā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

invocatory

in-ˈvä-kə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Synonyms

• abracadabra
• bewitchment
• charm
• conjuration
• enchantment
• glamour
• glamor
• hex
• incantation
• spell
• whammy

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

Instead of invoking LLMs repeatedly on similar queries, previous invocations can work well in some contexts, like FAQ responses. —Naren Narendran, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

The biggest surprise is that the most overt invocations on the album are of a New York rapper: Nas, perhaps the first true hip-hop star whose primacy was predicated on his gift for dense narrative, but who for a stretch was derailed by the needs and urges of the marketplace. —Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024

This is also why the tongue-in-cheek invocation of Zadorov’s name by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Thursday is an interesting one. —Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024

To avoid missing her chance at true love — on account of her age, apparently — Adela must recite the invocation. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English invocacioun, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French invocation, from Latin invocation-, invocatio, from invocare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids 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

invocational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

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