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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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
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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
-
has been invitingperfect progressive
Past
-
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:
“It will simply invite more chaos and a less desirable appointment.”
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
The King would then invite Burnham to form a new government.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Jen Schultz of Norwalk invited Mickey the Moose to her May wedding after seeing TikTokers invite A-listers to their events.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
"Iran is trying to avoid another full-scale war. But it also believes that failing to respond carries its own risks because it would project weakness and invite further pressure," she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
When I e-mailed Gutfreund to invite him to lunch, he could not have been more polite, or more gracious.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
And many a Toluca Lake resident enjoys some theme park perks courtesy of Universal, such as free parking, and invites to pre-opening events at the park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The test gives the AI software that has a known bug in it, shows it how to trigger the bug and invites the AI to break in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Neither method invites the average citizen’s voice or participation.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Cars” invites a type of rumination no child should ever have to endure, especially during summer break.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Kyro invites me along, but I’m still not ready to get on a school bus, let alone stay on one for over a hundred miles each way.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Reagan invited Kennedy to the White House and offered him the nomination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Two weeks after the Belfast singer's chance encounter with the film's director, she and her pianist were invited for an official audition.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The State Department declined to say whether Lex Libertas will be among those invited to compete, saying the grant is still under deliberation.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
"We need a long process of changing the mindset" of the nobles, he said during the enormous funeral of one of them close to the capital, to which 4,000 guests, including atas, were invited.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
On June 4, 1850, just a few days after the Fox sisters’ arrival, Greeley spontaneously invited a friend and turned up at Barnum’s Hotel to investigate this new idea of spirit communication.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
“The spacious living room is anchored by a wood-burning fireplace and filled with natural light, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for everyday living and entertaining,” the listing reads.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
In the foreground is the inviting backyard of a middle-class home: sunlit green grass, a tool shed, a picnic table, but no people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Through a series of acrylic paintings, Gardner explores intimate connections between parents and children, partners and siblings, inviting viewers to identify themselves within his signature faceless figures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Student Xu Leran, 26, said that inviting a man into one's home can raise "safety concerns", but with a woman technician "I would definitely feel much more at ease, and communication would be smoother too".
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Light spilled into the tunnel, bright and inviting, but I’m no fool.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
