1
Core action
Call on a law, authority, principle, person, or power for support, justification, or action.
Example
The lawyer invoked a constitutional protection.
invoke
/ɪnˈvəʊk/ · in-VOHKverb
Call on a law, authority, principle, person, or power for support, justification, or action.
Use invoke to express this relationship precisely: call on a law, authority, principle, person, or power for support, justification, or action.
What invoke Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Common construction
Use this expression in its normal grammatical frame so the relationship between the surrounding ideas remains explicit.
Example
Officials invoked emergency powers during the flood.
3
Reasoning effect
It tells the reader how to interpret the timing, scope, evidence, contrast, condition, or consequence in the statement.
Example
The essay invokes tradition without proving that it applies.
Use invoke Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The lawyer invoked a constitutional protection.
Officials invoked emergency powers during the flood.
The essay invokes tradition without proving that it applies.
Precision Matters
Invoke overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
invoke
vs.Means call on a law, authority, principle, person, or power for support, justification, or action.
evoke
Means bring a feeling, memory, image, or response to mind.
invoke
vs.Means call on a law, authority, principle, person, or power for support, justification, or action.
suppress
Means prevent, restrain, stop, or keep something from being expressed, revealed, or developing.
invoke
vs.Means call on a law, authority, principle, person, or power for support, justification, or action.
allude
Means refer to someone or something indirectly rather than naming or explaining it explicitly.
invoke
vs.Means call on a law, authority, principle, person, or power for support, justification, or action.
advocate
Means publicly support, recommend, or argue in favour of a cause, policy, or course of action.
Test invoke in Context
They call on a law as authority for their action.
1
To justify the restriction, officials ___ a rarely used emergency statute.