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
The invocation of a pervasive communist menace helped rally support for the administration’s aid bill.
—
Peter Slezkine, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2022
Chutkan has ruled against Trump in a previous case, denying his 2021 invocation of executive privilege to block the release of government documents to the House committee investigating the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024
But the convention overall was long on performative religiosity and relatively short on specific invocations of social conservatives’ issue priorities.
—Matthew Wilson, Orange County Register, 21 July 2024
Such invocations of doom have yet to deter Ukraine’s allies.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for invocation 
Peter Slezkine, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2022
Chutkan has ruled against Trump in a previous case, denying his 2021 invocation of executive privilege to block the release of government documents to the House committee investigating the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024
But the convention overall was long on performative religiosity and relatively short on specific invocations of social conservatives’ issue priorities.
—Matthew Wilson, Orange County Register, 21 July 2024
Such invocations of doom have yet to deter Ukraine’s allies.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 25 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for invocation
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'invocation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near invocation
Cite this Entry
“Invocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invocation. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
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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