invocation

American  

[in-vuh-key-shuhn] / ˌɪn vəˈkeɪ ʃən /

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.

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invocation British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• invocational adjective
• invocatory adjective
• preinvocation noun

Etymology

Origin of invocation

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

Example Sentences

The film’s repeated invocation of its own title in different contexts is another instance of adding too many eggs to the custard.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tina Brown called American Canto “absurdly pretentious,” wincing at its repeated invocations of Joan Didion’s unsettling Santa Ana winds.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a very modern invocation of the swords-to-plowshares principle, he has evidently told Ukrainian officials that its demobbed soldiers could soon be earning Silicon Valley-level salaries operating American data centers in the country.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Shakespeare as a brand remains unparalleled in our culture: Mere invocation of his work can confer a warm, orangey glow of importance upon an otherwise pedestrian reflection on it.

From The Wall Street Journal

I love how the invocation sets a calm, cooperative, even loving tone at a time when too many civic gatherings in this country are torn by ill will, short tempers, sometimes violence.

From The Wall Street Journal