invocation

[ in-vuh-key-shuhn ]
See synonyms for invocation on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. a form of prayer invoking God's presence, especially one said at the beginning of a religious service or public ceremony.

  2. an entreaty for aid and guidance from a Muse, deity, etc., at the beginning of an epic or epiclike poem.

  3. the act of calling upon a spirit by incantation.

  4. the magic formula used to conjure up a spirit; incantation.

  5. the act of calling upon or referring to something, as a concept or document, for support and justification in a particular circumstance.

  6. the enforcing or use of a legal or moral precept or right.

Origin of invocation

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English invocacio(u)n, from Latin invocātiōn-, stem of invocātiō “a calling upon”; see invocate, -ion

Other words from invocation

  • in·voc·a·to·ry [in-vok-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ɪnˈvɒk əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective
  • pre·in·vo·ca·tion, noun

Words Nearby invocation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use invocation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for invocation

invocation

/ (ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən) /


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

  1. an appeal for inspiration and guidance from a Muse or deity at the beginning of a poem

    • the act of summoning a spirit or demon from another world by ritual incantation or magic

    • the incantation used in this act

Derived forms of invocation

  • invocational, adjective
  • invocatory (ɪnˈvɒkətərɪ, -trɪ), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012