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invitational

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

adjective

  1. restricted to participants who have been invited.

    an invitational track meet.

noun

  1. 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.

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

From Salon • Mar. 9, 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

The Lions' final match before the series starts is against an invitational side featuring Australian and New Zealand players in Adelaide.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2025

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.