The difference between “evoke” and “invoke”
Evoke and invoke are both transitive verbs with the same Latin root word, vox, meaning “voice“. Both have to do with “calling forth” something, but how they differ is in what it is that they call upon, about, or towards:
The smell of freshly baked bread always `evokes` happy childhood memories.
The company president decided to `invoke` the emergency clause in the contract.
The defendant tried to `evoke` his right to remain silent.
Visiting the old house `invoked` a sense of sadness in her.
- Evoke mainly refers to calling forth emotions, feelings and memories; e.g., “visiting my childhood home evokes bittersweet memories and feelings“.
- Invoke is often calls upon a formal authority, institution or law; as in to “invoke your constitutional rights“, or rights to an attorney.
| examples with “evoke” | examples with ‘invoke” |
| The novel’s ending evoked a feeling of loneliness in me. | The article invokes numerous scholars to help support its argument. |
Evoke could be replaced with words or phrases, such as, brought about, gave rise to, caused, arose, and so forth.
“Evoke”, “invoke” and “provoke”
Provoke is another word (and verb) that sounds and is spelled similar to invoke and evoke, (can you guess the pattern?)
They all share the same Latin root word; i.e., vox meaning voice. However, provoke differs from its homophonic counterparts in that it describes purposely stirring up, or aiming to bring about a reaction or emotions from others, mostly in a negative sense. Take the phrase, “don’t provoke them“; this is similar to saying don’t upset or anger them.
Evoke and provoke are synonyms; that said, evoke is less forceful and applies more broadly in terms of the sorts of feelings or memories it refers to.
Sentence examples with “invoke”
| Word Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Other | Police can invoke the law to regulate access to these places. RCMP, 1985. Their sacred dance is performed to invoke ancient gods. Regulators said they would invoke legal powers to enforce the change. Old radio programs may invoke comforting memories of the past. The UN threatened to invoke economic sanctions if the talks were broken off. (UN Chapter VII.) |
Sentence examples with “evoke”
| Word Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Other | That smell always evokes memories of my old school.
‘A detergent designed to evoke the fresh smell of summer meadows.’ “The sight of American asters evokes pleasant memories of childhood” Peaches evoke memories and bring out the best of summertime activities. It’s going to the edge to spontaneously improvise and evoke the inner spirit. |
Similar words
| Word | Synonyms |
|---|---|
| evoke | elicit, extract, arouse, conjure, provoke, educe, evince, rouse, raise |
| invoke | bring about, yield, bring rise to, generate, induce, prompt, at any moment, produce, effect, effectuate, bring on, cause |
“evoke” by associating it with “feelings” – both words have an “e” at the beginning and often relate to emotions being called forth.
Origin of invoke
|
Invoke derives from the Latin invocare “call upon, implore.” Invocare is a compound of vox, which means voice in Latin; and the Latin word ‘in’ meaning “upon”. |
Origin of evoke
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From Latin evocare “call out, rouse, summon.” |
In review: evoke and invoke
It makes sense that invoke and evoke are often confused with one another, since they overlap in their meaning and sound similar to each other. Again, this is because they derive from the same Latin root word for voice: vox. Invoke refers to calling upon an authority, or bringing it into effect. Evoke describes the resurfacing or bringing up of a feeling, memory, thought, emotion or spirit.
More confusing words
Practice: Invoke or evoke?
The painting can ______ strong emotions in viewers.
You can ______ the law to support your argument.
Certain smells can ______ memories from childhood.
The mayor decided to ______ emergency powers.
The story will ______ feelings of nostalgia in readers.
FAQs
What’s the difference evoke vs invoke?
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When do you use ‘evoke’?
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When do you use ‘invoke’?
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Can ‘evoke’ be used for rights?
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Can ‘invoke’ describe feelings?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Difference Between Invoke and Evoke?." Grammarflex, Jul 20, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-difference-between-invoke-and-evoke/.
Sources
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The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll
