evocative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of evocative
1650–60; < Latin ēvocātīvus, equivalent to ēvocāt ( us ) ( see evoke, -ate 1) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Use the adjective evocative when you want to describe something that reminds you of something else. If your mom baked a lot when you were a kid, the smell of cookies in the oven is probably evocative of your childhood. Evocative comes from the Latin word evocare, which means to "call out" or "summon." Think of a batch of cookies summoning a memory from your childhood. To summon something you need a voice, and indeed, the Latin word for voice is vocare. Other related words include the noun vocation, which means "a calling."
Vocabulary lists containing evocative
This Week in Words: April 13–19, 2019
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"Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
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The Night Circus
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Evocative anecdotes and sharp observations work better than vague praise or sweeping generalizations.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Evocative of TikTok’s vertical video scroll, the feed features a mix of everything from audio books to music videos and, Söderström said, will emphasize content discovery and recommendation.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2023
Evocative images can affect policy, spur action, and every now and then alter the course of history.
From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2022
Evocative of the happy face that’s the ultimate symbol of Watchmen.
From Slate • Oct. 18, 2019
It was formerly directed by one Longfellow, an adventurer, born in Scotland, who entitled himself grand priest of the New Evocative Magism.
From Là-bas by Wallace, Keene
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
