invitational

American

[in-vi-tey-shuh-nl] / ˌɪn vɪˈteɪ ʃə nl /

adjective

restricted to participants who have been invited.

an invitational track meet.

noun

an event, as a sports competition or an art exhibit, restricted to those who have been invited to participate.

Etymology

Origin of invitational

First recorded in 1920–25; invitation + -al ¹

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:

invitational

South Africa prop Vincent Koch, Munster centre Alex Nankivell and Uruguay scrum-half Santiago Arata also scored for the invitational side.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

The library’s gravitas suggests the singular aura of the club’s annual invitational tournament, the Masters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

Like an evangelist giving an altar call, his bid is invitational in nature.

From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2026

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

Junior Championship three months earlier, and the Rosenwald was the first important invitational and adult all-masters tournament of his career.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023