invoke
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English
Etymology
From Middle English invoken, from Middle French invoquer (=modern French), from Latin invocare (“to call upon”), itself from in- + vocare 'to call'
Pronunciation
Verb
to invoke (third-person singular simple present invokes, present participle invoking, simple past and past participle invoked)
- (transitive) To call upon (a person, especially a god) for help, assistance or guidance.
- 1869 John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women:
- After marriage, the man had anciently (but this was anterior to Christianity) the power of life and death over his wife. She could invoke no law against him; he was her sole tribunal and law.
- 1872 Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species:
- The acquisition of a useless part can hardly be said to raise an organism in the natural scale; and in the case of the imperfect, closed flowers, above described, if any new principle has to be invoked, it must be one of retrogression rather than of progression; and so it must be with many parasitic and degraded animals.
- 1912 William Sharp McKechnie, The New Democracy and the Constitution:
- It is easier to invoke or to deplore democracy than to say exactly what it is.
- 1869 John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women:
- (transitive) To appeal for validation to a (notably cited) authority.
- In certain Christian circles invoking the Bible equals irrefutable proof
- (transitive) To conjure up with incantations.
- This satanist ritual invokes Beelzebub
- (transitive) To bring about as an inevitable consequence.
- Blasphemy is taboo as it may invoke divine wrath
- (transitive) To solicit, petition for, appeal to a favorable attitude.
- The envoy invoked the King of Kings's magnanimity to reduce his province's tribute after another draught
- (transitive) (computing) To cause (a program or subroutine) to execute.
- Interactive programs let the users enter choices and invoke the corresponding routines
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
- invocation
- invocational
- invocatory
External links
- invoke in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- invoke in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
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leagle.com
Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:18:09 GMT+00:00
Leagle.com In contrast to the defendant in King, appellant Brogdon does not invoke his constitutional right to privacy in his effort to suppress his medical records ...
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