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Invective originated in the 15th century as an adjective meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse," but by the early 16th century, it was functioning as a noun referring to a harsh verbal attack, and within a few decades, to abusive language as a whole. Invective is similar to verbal abuse, but in addition to being a more formal term than abuse, invective tends to suggest not only anger and vehemence but also rhetorical skill. It sometimes also implies public denunciation, as in "blistering political invective."
Examples of invective in a Sentence
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Yet some of us in the audience, disgusted by the persistence of Nazism and anti-immigrant invective in the present, may well appreciate the force of McQueen’s rhetoric.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Newsletter On Politics In an era of invective and distrust, two California candidates turned a tie over to chance.
—Jess Bidgood, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for invective
Cite this Entry
“Invective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invective. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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