in·vo·ca·tion

(ĭn′və-kā′shən)

1. The act or an instance of invoking, especially an appeal to a higher power for assistance.

2. A prayer or other formula used in invoking, as at the opening of a religious service.

a. The act of conjuring up a spirit by incantation.

b. An incantation used in conjuring.

[Middle English invocacion, from Old French, from Latin invocātiō, invocātiōn-, from invocātus, past participle of invocāre, to invoke; see invoke.]

in′vo·ca′tion·al adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

invocation

(ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən)

1. the act of invoking or calling upon some agent for assistance

2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) a prayer asking God for help, forgiveness, etc, esp as part of a religious service

3. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) an appeal for inspiration and guidance from a Muse or deity at the beginning of a poem

4. (Other Non-Christian Religions)

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

b. the incantation used in this act

ˌinvoˈcational adj

invocatory adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•vo•ca•tion

(ˌɪn vəˈkeɪ ʃən)

n.

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.

3. a form of prayer invoking God's presence, said at the beginning of a public or religious ceremony.

4. an entreaty for guidance from a Muse, deity, etc., at the beginning of an epic poem.

5. an incantation.

6. the act of referring to something, as a concept or document, for support and justification.

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

[1325–75; Middle English < Latin]

in•voc′a•to•ry (-ˈvɒk əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i) adj.

invocation

The calling down of a spirit to be manifested in a physical form.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	invocation - a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service supplication divine service, religious service, service - the act of public worship following prescribed rules; "the Sunday service" orison, petition, prayer - reverent petition to a deity rogation - a solemn supplication ceremony prescribed by the church
	2.	invocation - an incantation used in conjuring or summoning a devil conjuration, incantation - a ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect
	3.	invocation - calling up a spirit or devil conjuring, conjury, conjuration magic, thaumaturgy - any art that invokes supernatural powers summoning, evocation - calling up supposed supernatural forces by spells and incantations
	4.	invocation - the act of appealing for help effectuation, implementation - the act of implementing (providing a practical means for accomplishing something); carrying into effect

invocation

noun

1. appeal, request, petition, beseeching, solicitation, entreaty an invocation for divine guidance

2. prayer, chant, supplication, orison Please stand for the invocation.

3. citation, mention, appeal to, calling on, reference to, allusion to the invocation of 301 legislation

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

invocation

noun

The act of praying:

prayer, supplication.

Translations

تَوَسُّل، تَضَرُّع

prosba

påkaldelse

Anrufung

invocation

ákall

supplica

innledende bønn påkalling

dovolávanie sa

dua niyaz

祈求祈祷

invocation

[ˌɪnvəʊˈkeɪʃən] N → invocación f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

invocation

n → Beschwörung f; (Eccl) → Invokation f; an invocation to the muses (Liter) → eine Anrufung der Musen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

invocation

[ˌɪnvəʊˈkeɪʃən] n → invocazione f

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

invoke

(inˈvəuk) verb

to appeal to (some power, eg God, the law etc) for help etc.

invocation (invəˈkeiʃən) noun

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Another, and a more satisfactory smoke, succeeded this repast, and sweet slumbers answering the peaceful invocation of our pipes, wrapped us in that delicious rest, which is only won by toil and travail." As to Captain Bonneville, he slept in the lodge of the venerable patriarch, who had evidently conceived a most disinterested affection for him; as was shown on the following morning.

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"Notre Pere qui etes au ciel" went off like a shot; then followed an address to Marie "vierge celeste, reine des anges, maison d'or, tour d'ivoire!" and then an invocation to the saint of the day; and then down they all sat, and the solemn (?) rite was over; and I entered, flinging the door wide and striding in fast, as it was my wont to do now; for I had found that in entering with aplomb, and mounting the estrade with emphasis, consisted the grand secret of ensuring immediate silence.

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In so doing he recited a kind of prayer or invocation, to which, at intervals, the others made responses.

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After this invocation the rocking and the singing would recommence, and the "Spotted Cow" proceed as before.

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And the invocation was uttered in such a tone as to indicate a rooted antipathy to anything so commonplace, even if she had not added that sequins gave her the sick.

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I fancy, also, that I must by this time have read the Odyssey, for the "Battle of the Frogs and Mice" was in the second volume, and it took me so much that I paid it the tribute of a bald imitation in a mock-heroic epic of a cat fight, studied from the cat fights in our back yard, with the wonted invocation to the Muse, and the machinery of partisan gods and goddesses.

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Lord Shaftesbury observes, that nothing is more cold than the invocation of a muse by a modern; he might have added, that nothing can be more absurd.

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There was more drama in this abstracted, brow- puckered search through the tabloid-bottles, with a pause here and there for thought and a muttered invocation between whiles.

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But in his joy at the enchanted, tacit acquiescence of the mate, Ahab did not hear his foreboding invocation; nor yet the low laugh from the hold; nor yet the presaging vibrations of the winds in the cordage; nor yet the hollow flap of the sails against the masts, as for a moment their hearts sank in.

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Then the priestess, standing above him, began reciting what Tarzan took to be an invocation, the while she slowly raised her thin, sharp knife aloft.

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The poem closes with an invocation of the Muses to sing of the `tribe of women'.

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"Enough," said Heyward, interrupting the burst of his musical invocation; "we understand each other; it is time that we should now assume our respective duties."

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