summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic
"raise the specter of unemployment"
"he conjured wild birds in the air"
"call down the spirits from the mountain"
To call upon (a person, a god) for help, assistance or guidance.
"The sailors prayed to their patron saint and invoked his protection as they faced the violent storm at sea."
In plain English: To invoke means to call on something, such as asking for help from a higher power or using a specific rule to support your argument.
"She invoked her rights to remain silent during the police interrogation."
Usage: Use invoke to mean calling on someone for aid rather than the more common evocate, which means to bring something back into memory. In legal contexts, prefer invoke over synonyms like cite when referring to appealing to a higher authority or precedent.
The word "invoke" entered English via the Old French envoker, which was originally a borrowing from the Latin phrase meaning "to call upon." This term combines the prefix for "in-" with the root for "to call," reflecting its original sense of summoning or appealing to someone.