invoke
To call upon a spirit, a deity, or a person for help or inspiration. In legal and formal contexts, it means to cite a law, rule, or authority to support an argument or justify an action.
Examples
3 of 5He invoked the 'no cellphones' rule when his friends started texting at dinner.
He used the established rule about phones to stop his friends from texting during the meal.
The government may invoke emergency powers to maintain public order during the natural disaster.
The authorities might officially activate special legal rights to keep order during the crisis.
Don't invoke our boss's name just to get me to finish your paperwork faster.
Do not use the boss as a threatening authority figure to pressure me into doing your work.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of 'In-voke' as calling 'In' a 'Voice' (voke) of authority to help you.
Quick Quiz
The police decided to ________ the state of emergency laws to clear the streets.
Correct!
The correct answer is: invoke
Examples
He invoked the 'no cellphones' rule when his friends started texting at dinner.
everydayHe used the established rule about phones to stop his friends from texting during the meal.
The government may invoke emergency powers to maintain public order during the natural disaster.
formalThe authorities might officially activate special legal rights to keep order during the crisis.
Don't invoke our boss's name just to get me to finish your paperwork faster.
informalDo not use the boss as a threatening authority figure to pressure me into doing your work.
The philosopher invokes the concept of social contract to explain modern governance.
academicThe scholar cites the social contract theory as the basis for explaining how governments work.
We need to invoke the termination clause in the contract due to the repeated missed deadlines.
businessWe must trigger the specific legal part of the agreement that allows us to end it because of delays.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
invoke the Fifth
To refuse to answer questions in a US court to avoid self-incrimination.
invoke the Muse
To ask for creative inspiration (traditionally at the start of an epic poem).
invoke a image
To create a specific mental picture or feeling through words.
Often Confused With
Evoke means to pull a feeling or memory out of someone, while invoke means to call upon an authority or rule for support.
Usage Notes
Invoke is most commonly used in legal, religious, or technical software contexts. It implies an active 'calling forth' of something that already exists, like a rule or a function.
Common Mistakes
Learners often use 'invoke' when they mean 'evoke' (e.g., saying 'the smell invoked memories' is technically possible but 'evoked' is much more common for sensory triggers).
Memory Tip
Think of 'In-voke' as calling 'In' a 'Voice' (voke) of authority to help you.
Word Origin
From the Latin 'invocare', where 'in-' means 'upon' and 'vocare' means 'to call'.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In American culture, 'invoking the Fifth' is a common phrase referring to the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.
Quick Quiz
The police decided to ________ the state of emergency laws to clear the streets.
Correct!
The correct answer is: invoke
Related Vocabulary
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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