invoked

American  

[in-vohkt] / ɪnˈvoʊkt /

adjective

1. (of a deity, saint, Muse, etc.) petitioned, prayed to, or called upon for help or aid.

   On all four sides of the obelisk there are inscriptions associating the invoked deities with the cardinal points of the compass.

2. prayed or asked for with earnest desire.

   Many drivers who have miraculously escaped from car accidents credit the invoked protection of St. Christopher.

3. declared to be in effect.

   While overseas he was detained by local police for allegedly misstating his company's registered assets—a rarely invoked charge.

4. appealed to or mentioned, as for confirmation or justification.

   This logic of caution is most recognizable in the often invoked slogan that “risk management is good business.”

5. (of a spirit) called forth or summoned by incantation.

   The initiation ritual is a one-to-one encounter with an initiator, who acts as agent for the invoked powers in the spirit world.

6. Computers. displayed, opened, or executed as a result of clicking on a link, entering a search term, changing a parameter, etc..

   If you click on the Back arrow, the invoked view will replace the current view in the navigation history.

7. caused or brought about by a certain thing or in a certain way (often used in combination).

   The report ignored the millions of refugees fleeing the recent military-invoked escalation of violence in the region.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of invoke.

Other Word Forms

• uninvoked adjective

Etymology

Origin of invoked

First recorded in 1795–1805; invoke ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; invoke ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

He also invoked Evans’ history, including prior Mississippi capital reversals finding serious prosecutorial misconduct.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

It is striking that Webb frequently invoked U.S. shareholder rights as a model for Hong Kong to emulate, albeit an imperfect one.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

But in private communications with the alleged victim, he invoked the investigation in an effort to persuade her to disavow the allegations, the Journal has reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

It's led to questions about what Pakistan would do if Saudi Arabia joined the war and invoked the pact.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Compton was even more infuriated to learn that the army had invoked his name to justify its action.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• imposed
• prescribed
• required
• sanctioned