Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Invitation has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
"an invitation to lunch"
"she threw the invitation away"
The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.
"The invitation to join us for dinner was extended warmly by her family."
In plain English: An invitation is when someone asks you to go somewhere or do something with them.
"She accepted his invitation to dinner at her house on Friday night."
Usage: An invitation refers to an official request or offer asking someone to attend an event, rather than just any casual suggestion to meet up. It is commonly used when specifying that formal arrangements have been made for guests to join a gathering.
The word "invitation" entered English in the late 14th century through Middle French and Latin, replacing an older Germanic term for refusal that had fallen out of use. Although it appears to be a simple combination of "invite" plus "-ation," its history involves borrowing from Romance languages rather than evolving directly within Old or Middle English.