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

The weather has not been severe enough for the heat policy to be invoked this year, but almost all the players have been using cooling mechanisms during matches.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Populists and trade-union leaders invoked it for their causes, as did suffragists and later civil-rights leaders.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

When called back to testify, Fuhrman invoked the 5th Amendment, refusing to answer questions about whether he had manufactured evidence.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

That makes complete self-sufficiency -- an idea Netanyahu previously invoked when he said Israel should become more like "Sparta" -- unrealistic for now.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

It was tall and nearly invisible, and it invoked such a gut-churning revulsion in Lee that he nearly woke in terror.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• imposed
• prescribed
• required
• sanctioned