invite
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
to request politely or formally.
to invite donations.
- Synonyms:
- solicit
-
to act so as to bring on or render probable.
to invite accidents by fast driving.
-
to call forth or give occasion for.
Those big shoes invite laughter.
-
to attract, allure, entice, or tempt.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
to ask (a person or persons) in a friendly or polite way (to do something, attend an event, etc)
he invited them to dinner
-
to make a request for, esp publicly or formally
to invite applications
-
to bring on or provoke; give occasion for
you invite disaster by your actions
-
to welcome or tempt
noun
Synonym Usage
See call.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
inviteenoun
-
inviternoun
-
invitornoun
-
reinviteverb
-
preinviteverb (used with object)
-
quasi-invitedadjective
-
self-invitedadjective
-
uninvitedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
invitesimple
-
invitessimple
-
have invitedperfect
-
has invitedperfect
-
am invitingprogressive
-
are invitingprogressive
-
is invitingprogressive
-
have been invitingperfect progressive
-
has been invitingperfect progressive
Past
-
invitedsimple
-
had invitedperfect
-
was invitingprogressive
-
were invitingprogressive
-
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:
"So, we would like to invite any technical company and industry partner, come talk to us. We would like to scale this up with you."
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It will simply invite more chaos and a less desirable appointment.”
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
Quijada and Robinson invite us into the process of making their musical, constructing the show’s soundscape and musical score in real time by recording musical phrases into a looping station and layering in sound.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
"We invite the public not to come to the edge of the race or to the finish site."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
When the Soviet Union had agreed to invite Bobby to Moscow, and generously pay all expenses for him and his sister, he was granted a visa that was good for only twenty days.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
They’re kidding, but he invites himself along anyway, in the hope that hanging with 20-somethings will miraculously make him hip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Neither method invites the average citizen’s voice or participation.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Salsa seems to me like a stage that invites one to express themselves fully, speak loudly, dance freely and feel powerful.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Interactive invites help take the stress out of planning your menu, figuring out how much of each ingredient you’ll need and how many servings you’ll need to make.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
Sometimes he invites people back to his studio so he can pose them and draw them more slowly and carefully.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
There was a sense at Villa Park last season they were getting into a party they were not invited to by qualifying for the Champions League.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Labour activists were invited to canvass with him and make edits of his time on the Makerfield by-election campaign trail in a language and style that resonates with people online.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
There are many meanings that have been inscribed to “Cut Piece,” in which Ono invited the audience to come on stage and, with a pair scissors, cut off a small piece of her dress.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The proposed award to fund the South African crime research was later widened to allow other invited groups to apply for a $1 million grant, according to people with knowledge of the process.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
I gestured to the store, the displays I’d arranged, the crowd that I’d invited.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
“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
Protesters are inviting soccer fans to join them in issuing referee-style red cards during the World Cup final.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich called for unity as demonstrations carried on outdoors, inviting participants in the ceremony to read out together the names and occupations of Jews murdered in Jedwabne.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Wataka tried to defuse tensions by inviting the officials and police to attend the concert, an offer that wasn’t accepted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
“We’re inviting some friends to go to Disney World with us?”
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
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.
