invoked
Americanadjective
-
(of a deity, saint, Muse, etc.) petitioned, prayed to, or called upon for help or aid.
On all four sides of the obelisk there are inscriptions associating the invoked deities with the cardinal points of the compass.
-
prayed or asked for with earnest desire.
Many drivers who have miraculously escaped from car accidents credit the invoked protection of St. Christopher.
-
declared to be in effect.
While overseas he was detained by local police for allegedly misstating his company's registered assets—a rarely invoked charge.
-
appealed to or mentioned, as for confirmation or justification.
This logic of caution is most recognizable in the often invoked slogan that “risk management is good business.”
-
(of a spirit) called forth or summoned by incantation.
The initiation ritual is a one-to-one encounter with an initiator, who acts as agent for the invoked powers in the spirit world.
-
Computers. displayed, opened, or executed as a result of clicking on a link, entering a search term, changing a parameter, etc..
If you click on the Back arrow, the invoked view will replace the current view in the navigation history.
-
caused or brought about by a certain thing or in a certain way (often used in combination).
The report ignored the millions of refugees fleeing the recent military-invoked escalation of violence in the region.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of invoked
First recorded in 1795–1805; invoke ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; invoke ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
At a civil deposition in 2022, he invoked the Fifth more than 440 times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The DOJ invoked the presumption of regularity and argued his arrest was part of an anti-terrorism dragnet, which the judge threw out.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
WASHINGTON—Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government scientist who became the face of the U.S. response to the Covid-19 pandemic, repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment on Wednesday amid questioning on Capitol Hill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda, meanwhile, invoked the viral protest catchphrase "waste-guna-huiya" - a deliberately nonsensical meme popularised during the demonstrations - to poke fun at the government.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The syllables of this illustrious name—one which the Corcorans invoked with very nearly as much respect as that of God Almighty—had when uttered aloud a miraculous effect of healing on Mr. Corcoran.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
![]()
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.