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
Synonyms
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
Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Rev. Franklin Graham will deliver the invocation.
—
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
The invocation of emergency powers was ruled unconstitutional by a Canadian court in 2024.
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Jan. 2025
The main selling point of our domains may be the metaphor or emotional invocations, so the connection to keywords is tangential or opaque.
—Darpan Munjal, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
But observers hoping to detect any exciting irony in Beyoncé’s invocation of the flag will come up empty.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for invocation 
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Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
The invocation of emergency powers was ruled unconstitutional by a Canadian court in 2024.
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Jan. 2025
The main selling point of our domains may be the metaphor or emotional invocations, so the connection to keywords is tangential or opaque.
—Darpan Munjal, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
But observers hoping to detect any exciting irony in Beyoncé’s invocation of the flag will come up empty.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for invocation
Dictionary Entries Near invocation
Cite this Entry
“Invocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invocation. Accessed 22 Jan. 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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