invite
Americanverb (used with object)
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invites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
invited,
past participle, past
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inviting
present participle
-
to request the presence or participation of in a kindly, courteous, or complimentary way, especially to request to come or go to some place, gathering, entertainment, etc., or to do something.
to invite friends to dinner.
- Synonyms:
- bid
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to request politely or formally.
to invite donations.
- Synonyms:
- solicit
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to act so as to bring on or render probable.
to invite accidents by fast driving.
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to call forth or give occasion for.
Those big shoes invite laughter.
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to attract, allure, entice, or tempt.
verb (used without object)
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invites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
invited,
past participle, past
-
inviting
present participle
noun
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invites
plural
verb
-
to ask (a person or persons) in a friendly or polite way (to do something, attend an event, etc)
he invited them to dinner
-
to make a request for, esp publicly or formally
to invite applications
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to bring on or provoke; give occasion for
you invite disaster by your actions
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to welcome or tempt
noun
Synonym Usage
See call.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inviteenoun
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inviternoun
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invitornoun
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reinviteverb
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preinviteverb (used with object)
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quasi-invitedadjective
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self-invitedadjective
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uninvitedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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invitesimple
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invitessimple
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have invitedperfect
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has invitedperfect
-
am invitingprogressive
-
are invitingprogressive
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is invitingprogressive
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have been invitingperfect progressive
-
has been invitingperfect progressive
Past
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invitedsimple
-
had invitedperfect
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was invitingprogressive
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were invitingprogressive
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had been invitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of invite
First recorded in 1525–35, invite is from the Latin word invītāre
Explanation
When you invite a friend to do something, you request her company, or encourage her to come with you. You might invite a group of neighbors to help you throw a block party. You could invite your friend to join you on a road trip, or invite your parents to your art show at a local gallery. You're making a polite request. Similarly, a newspaper might invite readers' comments, or a school might invite ideas for how to spend grant money. Invite is also casual shorthand for "invitation." When you tempt someone to react, you also invite that reaction: "Your strange film really invites harsh criticism."
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.
See Examples For:
Ads will invite individuals to speak on the phone with a hired “healthcare professional” who will rubber-stamp a prescription and authorize the compounded medication to be shipped directly to the unwitting patient.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
The family said that police "chose to arrest Nick rather than invite him to attend for interview".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
"The current state of the case is a mess. If I had a younger, healthier client, I would invite you to put back the trial by six months... but I don't," said Duterte's lawyer.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Then he proceeded to invite Oscar Isaac, the Guatemalan actor who utilizes his given name professionally, suggesting they might be related.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Maybe we should invite Rashawn to come back here with us. She’s probably just as scared as we are.”
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Karl invites me to push The Beast for a short while.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
“You don’t need to worry about presenting a certain way or being perceived in a certain way. All the characters in ‘The Pineapple’ are degenerates, and this show invites you to become one as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
A move justified on those grounds invites the obvious follow-up: how much higher?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Facebook turned from a place to share photos and event invites to a place where Boomers give themselves AI psychosis.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Keisha invites Albert and me over to her house for a “surprise.”
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
According to the Motown Museum, the Del-Phis invited Reeves — then a secretary to William “Mickey” Stevenson, Motown’s Artists and Repertoire director — to join their girl group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Nevertheless, he was regarded as a valued member of the squad and was invited to the trophy parade that followed.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Fewer big Hollywood movies seem to have been invited to the film festival this year, but there are still interesting and ambitious indies worth toasting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
She invited customers for fireside chats with Net-a-Porter employees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
A badger peppered with gray fur threw his head back and laughed, a raucous sound that invited others to join.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
The imperative to close all or portions of campuses potentially competes with the concurrent high priority of providing students with safe, up-to-date, fully resourced and inviting education environments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
In 2010, Jason went back to what he knew, building teams, by inviting others to join him in rucking challenges that mimicked special forces training.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
It’s one thing to want your guests to pitch in — it’s another to surprise them with a pretty hefty bill after inviting them over for a meal.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Not that you could, really, when “Chronovisor” is so inviting.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
I once asked Ms. Tomoko, our waitress, why it waved, and she explained that Maneki-neko means “beckoning cat,” and waving the left paw means it’s inviting customers into the restaurant.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
