invocation

[in-vuh-key-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of invoking or calling upon a deity, spirit, etc., for aid, protection, inspiration, or the like; supplication.

2. any petitioning or supplication for help or aid.

3. a form of prayer invoking God's presence, especially one said at the beginning of a religious service or public ceremony.

4. an entreaty for aid and guidance from a Muse, deity, etc., at the beginning of an epic or epiclike poem.

5. the act of calling upon a spirit by incantation.

6. the magic formula used to conjure up a spirit; incantation.

7. the act of calling upon or referring to something, as a concept or document, for support and justification in a particular circumstance.

8. the enforcing or use of a legal or moral precept or right.

invocation

/ ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən, -trɪ, ɪnˈvɒkətərɪ /

noun

1. the act of invoking or calling upon some agent for assistance

2. a prayer asking God for help, forgiveness, etc, esp as part of a religious service

3. an appeal for inspiration and guidance from a Muse or deity at the beginning of a poem

4. 1. the act of summoning a spirit or demon from another world by ritual incantation or magic

   2. the incantation used in this act

Other Word Forms

• invocatory adjective
• preinvocation noun
• invocational adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of invocation¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English invocacio(u)n, from Latin invocātiōn-, stem of invocātiō “a calling upon”; invocate, -ion

Example Sentences

Recreating a famous moment — such as when Seberg runs her finger over her lips as Belmondo had done — was deeply meaningful to him: an invocation.

From Los Angeles Times

Bream asked Witkoff directly if this pseudo-Article 5 invocation would include US “boots on the ground” and a direct conflict with Russia.

From Salon

His invocation of wartime powers through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to employ many of his tariffs has rightly been called into question by federal courts.

From Salon

In 2023, he released a new album, “Seven Psalms,” an elliptical, gracious invocation for the arc of his life, drawing on biblical imagery and intertwined guitar fugues.

From Los Angeles Times

Even Abraham Lincoln’s invocation of the Insurrection Act at the outset of the Civil War was confined to the states in rebellion.

From Salon