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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
Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The dial takes design cues from the Chronomètre Contemporain—the first eponymous watch Rexhepi released—with a layout that evokes vintage pocket watches.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2026
One is filmed in black and white and shown chronologically, evoking classic noir.
—ArsTechnica, 6 Apr. 2026
But isn’t evoking big themes, even obliquely, a worthy job for art to do?
—Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for evoke
Cite this Entry
“Evoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evoke. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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