Showing results for "invoked"

• past participle of invoke.
• past tense form of invoke.

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

See Examples For:

invoked

Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda, meanwhile, invoked the viral protest catchphrase "waste-guna-huiya" - a deliberately nonsensical meme popularised during the demonstrations - to poke fun at the government.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The complaint invoked Minnesota’s “inviolable sovereign authority” and its duty to ensure the “health, education, and safety” of residents.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

France has invoked the European Union's civil protection mechanism to ask for help, President Emmanuel Macron said, warning the crisis remained "very intense."

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Department of Energy invoked the Defense Production Act to supersede state laws, following months of clashes between Sable and state regulators.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Many Eurasian states and empires had official religions that contributed to state cohesion, being invoked to legitimize the political leadership and to sanction wars against other peoples.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• imposed
• prescribed
• required
• sanctioned