invoke

Invoke is a verb with several related meanings that center on calling forth action, support, or authority from an external source. In religious or spiritual contexts, to invoke is to call upon a deity, spirit, or sacred power for aid, blessing, or guidance. In legal and formal settings, to invoke a right, rule, or precedent is to appeal to it as authority in order to justify a decision or action. In computing and software, to invoke a function, method, or procedure is to cause that component to execute, typically by making a call with arguments. In everyday language, one can invoke memories, emotions, or associations, meaning to bring them to mind or evoke a response.

Etymology and related terms: invoke comes from the Latin invocare, from in- “upon” plus vocare “to call.” The noun form invocation refers to the act of invoking or to a prayer or formula used to invoke a deity.

Domains of use: In religion, invocations are often short prayers or formulas spoken at the start of services. In law, authorities are invoked to support interpretive choices or rights. In computing, developers invoke APIs or procedures to trigger specific operations. In general usage, invocation can describe the act of summoning, appealing to authority, or prompting an action or memory.

See also: invocation, invocable, invocator (less common).