invite
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
noun
verb
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to ask (a person or persons) in a friendly or polite way (to do something, attend an event, etc)
he invited them to dinner
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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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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
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am invitingprogressive
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are invitingprogressive
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is invitingprogressive
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have been invitingperfect progressive
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has been invitingperfect progressive
Past
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invitedsimple
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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.
“There can be a lot of guilt around saying no to a wedding invite, but Zola data suggests that couples are usually pretty understanding and don’t expect everyone invited to attend,” Forrest assured me.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
Back in October, Swift told TV host Graham Norton that she was casting a wide net with the guest list, joking that she would invite “anyone I’ve ever talked to.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
The 36-year-old, from Cheadle, in Greater Manchester, would invite random men to the woman's home in Cheshire, with some turning up in the middle of the night.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
In the U.S., talent meets opportunity, opportunity attracts capital, capital builds products, products meet customers, customers invite competition, and competition drives progress.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
“I didn’t invite him. I just told him because I knew he would blab about it to his followers. It was the fastest way to spread the word to the whole town.”
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
