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evoke or invoke?
Don’t feel bad if you have difficulty remembering the difference between evoke and invoke, as the words are quite similar in many ways and have considerable overlap in meaning. However, the words do differ, and you would not want to substitute one for the other. Invoke is used of putting into effect or calling upon such things as laws, authority, or privilege (“the principal invoked a rule forbidding students from asking questions”). Evoke is primarily used in the sense “to call forth or up” and is often found in connection with such things as memories, emotions, or sympathy.
Examples of evoke in a Sentence
Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The designs include simple circles for trapping demons, overlapping Vs (or Marian marks) that evoke the Virgin Mary, and pentangles to ward off evil.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
The objects are meant to evoke the lives of its two lead characters, gay men seeking refuge from their pasts and leaning into their desires in 1950s Mexico City.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
This year, evoke a sense of Thanksgiving by simply lighting a candle.
—Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Evoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evoke. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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