invitational

American

[in-vi-tay-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

At an annual tennis invitational and white party at a billionaire’s Beverly Hills mansion last weekend, the reality TV villain and mayoral hopeful marveled at his potential path to victory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

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

From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2026

The 17-year-old Texan won the invitational event by 0.70 of a second over Penn State's Handal Roban to become the sixth-fastest athlete indoors in 800m history.

From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026

Fixtures against the Waratahs, Brumbies and an invitational Australian/New Zealand team follow before the first Test against the Wallabies on 19 July.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025

I try to block out how the last invitational ended.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

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