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evoke

verb
\ i-ˈvƍk How to pronounce evoke (audio) \
evoked; evoking

Definition of evoke

transitive verb

1 : to call forth or up: such as
a : to bring to mind or recollection this place evokes memories
b : to cite especially with approval or for support : invoke
c : conjure sense 2a evoke evil spirits
2 : to re-create imaginatively
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym evoke or invoke? Example Sentences Learn More about evoke

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Synonyms for evoke

Synonyms

educe, elicit, inspire, raise

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Choose the Right Synonym for evoke

educe, evoke, elicit, extract, extort mean to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved. educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent. educed order out of chaos evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory. a song that evokes warm memories elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response. careful questioning elicited the truth extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information. extracted a confession from him extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly. extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

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

The old house evoked memories of his childhood. His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.

Recent Examples on the Web

 Which is the only visual preposterous enough to evoke the absurdity of it all. — Monica Hesse, Washington Post, "Ivanka Trump is acting like everything is normal," 5 Sep. 2019 Reading The Other’s Gold tends to evoke a flood of feeling, from educational nostalgia to the reminder of how fleeting that period of time in which you are truly entrenched in the details of your friends’ lives really is. — Seija Rankin, EW.com, "How Elizabeth Ames wrote The Other's Gold, your new favorite campus novel," 27 Aug. 2019 His most accessible canvases employ geometric shapes to evoke notions of the infinite. — Duff Mcdonald, WIRED, "The Cosmic, Psychedelic, Glow-in-the-Dark Art of Alex Aliume," 20 Aug. 2019 Like the Double Barrel, this variant spent two years in bourbon barrels to evoke an oakier quality. — Chris Morris, Fortune, "Goose Island Will Release 8 Bourbon County Variants This Year—and a Collection," 14 Aug. 2019 But the characters clung to the past: The show’s neutral, faded colors were chosen, according to costume designer Rita Riggs, to evoke the sepia tones of an old family photograph album. — Joanna Scutts, Curbed, "The shows we’ve lived by," 14 Aug. 2019 Photographs have the power to evoke wonder and whimsy in those who view them. — Kristen Mcnicholas, National Geographic, "Your best photos of the week, August 2, 2019," 2 Aug. 2019 At first glance, what sets this apart is the choice to shoot entirely on 35mm black-and-white film—better to evoke a bygone age. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "First trailer for The Lighthouse evokes early films from a bygone age," 30 July 2019 Westbury Square was originally built to evoke a European-style shopping village in the 1950s, according to previous reports in the Houston Chronicle. — Julian Gill, Houston Chronicle, "'A ruin in plain sight': Video captures abandoned, European-style shopping center in Houston," 5 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evoke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of evoke

circa 1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for evoke

French Ă©voquer, from Latin evocare, from e- + vocare to call — more at vocation

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More Definitions for evoke

evoke

verb
How to pronounce evoke (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of evoke

: to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind
: to cause (a particular reaction or response) to happen

See the full definition for evoke in the English Language Learners Dictionary

evoke

verb
\ i-ˈvƍk How to pronounce evoke (audio) \
evoked; evoking

Kids Definition of evoke

: to bring to mind The photos evoked memories of our trip.

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More from Merriam-Webster on evoke

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with evoke

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for evoke

Spanish Central: Translation of evoke

Nglish: Translation of evoke for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of evoke for Arabic Speakers

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