evoke

[ ih-vohk ]

verb (used with object)

, e·voked, e·vok·ing.

1. to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.):

   to evoke a memory.

2. to elicit or draw forth:

   His comment evoked protests from the shocked listeners.

3. to call up; cause to appear; summon:

   to evoke a spirit from the dead.

4. to produce or suggest through artistry and imagination a vivid impression of reality:

   a short passage that manages to evoke the smells, colors, sounds, and shapes of that metropolis.

evoke

/ ˈɛvəkəbəl; ɪˈvəʊk /

verb

1. to call or summon up (a memory, feeling, etc), esp from the past
2. to call forth or provoke; produce; elicit

   his words evoked an angry reply

3. to cause (spirits) to appear; conjure up

Usage

See evince invoke

Derived Forms

• evocable, adjective
• eˈvoker, noun

Other Words From

• e·voker noun
• une·voked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of evoke¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ēvocāre, from ē- e- ¹ + vocāre “to call” (akin to vōx voice )

Word History and Origins

Origin of evoke¹

C17: from Latin ēvocāre to call forth, from vocāre to call

Example Sentences

It calls for rooting out “waste, fraud, and abuse,” that all-purpose chimera evoked by budget-cutters as a painless way of reducing costs, but which no one ever seems to accomplish.

From Los Angeles Times

A simple message, which evokes a multitude of memories for almost an entire nation, neatly summed up what Nadal means to Spain.

From BBC

The song she co-wrote for “Twisters” is built on a simple, repeating, arpeggiated riff on its two main chords, generating a contemplative sound, evoking a long drive on a flat, open highway.

From Los Angeles Times

But there was an additional inspiration that might explain why the music evokes such deep reservoirs of feeling: It started off as a breakup song.

From New York Times

That one big thing in Stockhausen’s utopian vision is a new sense of community that evolves from the creation of this sacred space evoking otherworldliness.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arouse
• conjure
• elicit
• invoke
• provoke
• recall