invitation

in·vi·ta·tion
I1N1V4I1T1A1T1I1O1N1
/ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/[ɪnvɪˈtʰeɪʃən] ~ [ɪnvɪˈtʰeɪʃn̩]

noun

The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.

“We need to print off fifty invitations for the party.”

CommonScrabble 13

Meanings

nouninvitation (countable and uncountable, plural invitations)

plural invitations

  1. countableuncountableThe act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.

    an invitation to a party, to a dinner, or to visit a friend

    1 more example

    At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy ; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.

    1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC

    Synonyms: invitement, lathing

  2. countableuncountableA document or verbal message conveying an invitation.

    We need to print off fifty invitations for the party.

  3. countableuncountableAllurement; enticement.
  4. countableuncountablefencingA line that is intentionally left open to encourage the opponent to attack.
  5. countableuncountableChristianityThe brief exhortation introducing the confession in the Anglican communion-office.
  6. countableuncountablebridgeA bid that tells one's partner that game or slam is likely if their hand is at the strong end of what they have indicated.

    I assume also that opener would have shown no interest in slam by either bidding 4NT or 50 after the slam invitation of 46.

    2001, Matthew Granovetter, Pamela Granovetter, The Best of Bridge Today Digest, page 113
    1 more example

    To any other invitation made by the captain, acceptance or refusal of the invitation is exclusively a question of points within the range advertised in the opening statement, and the invitation is always in the last called suit.

    2011, Gerard Cohen, Bridge Is a Conversation: Part I: the Auction, page 71

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.

Also see

Origin

  1. Latininvītātio
  2. Middle Englishinvitacioun
  3. Englishinvitation

From Middle English invitacioun, ynvytacioun, from Latin invītātio, reinforced by Middle French invitation. By surface analysis, invite + -ation. Displaced native Middle English lathinge from Old English laþung (see dialectal English lathing).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek πρόσκλησις
  • πρόσκλησις (prósklēsis)act of inviting
Arabic دَعْوَة, عزيمة
  • دَعْوَة (daʕwa)act of inviting
  • عزيمة (ʕazīma)act of inviting
  • دَعْوَة (daʕwa)act of inviting
  • إِغْرَاء (ʔiḡrāʔ)allurement; enticement
Basque gonbidapen, gonbit
  • gonbidapenact of inviting
  • gonbitact of inviting
Bengali নিমন্ত্রণ, দাওয়াত
  • নিমন্ত্রণ (nimontron)act of inviting
  • দাওয়াত (daōẇat)act of inviting
Bulgarian покана, покана
  • покана (pokana)act of inviting
  • покана (pokana)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • съблазън (săblazăn)allurement; enticement
Chinese Cantonese 邀請 /邀请
  • 邀請 /邀请 (jiu¹ cing²)act of inviting
Chinese Mandarin 邀請 /邀请, 邀請函 /邀请函
  • 邀請 /邀请 (yāoqǐng)act of inviting
  • 邀請函 /邀请函 (yāoqǐnghán)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • 請柬 /请柬 (qǐngjiǎn)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • 請帖 /请帖 (qǐngtiě)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • 吸引 (xīyǐn)allurement; enticement
  • 引誘 /引诱 (yǐnyòu)allurement; enticement
Czech pozvání
  • pozváníact of inviting
Danish indbydelse, invitation
  • indbydelseact of inviting
  • invitationact of inviting
Dutch uitnodiging, uitnodiging
  • uitnodigingact of inviting
  • uitnodigingdocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Finnish kutsu, kutsuminen
  • kutsuact of inviting
  • kutsuminenact of inviting
  • kutsudocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • kutsuallurement; enticement
  • houkutusallurement; enticement
  • viehätysallurement; enticement
French invitation, invitation
  • invitationact of inviting
  • invitationdocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
German Einladung, Einladen
  • Einladungact of inviting
  • Einladenact of inviting
  • Einladungdocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • Einladungfencing: line left open
Greek πρόσκληση, κάλεσμα
  • πρόσκληση (prósklisi)act of inviting
  • κάλεσμα (kálesma)act of inviting
  • πρόσκληση (prósklisi)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • δελεασμός (deleasmós)allurement; enticement
Hebrew הַזְמָנָה, הַזְמָנָה
  • הַזְמָנָה (hazmana)act of inviting
  • הַזְמָנָה (hazmana)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Hindi निमंत्रण
  • निमंत्रण (nimantraṇ)act of inviting
Hungarian meghívás, meghívó
  • meghívásact of inviting
  • meghívódocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • felhívásallurement; enticement
Indonesian undangan
  • undangandocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Italian invito
  • invitoact of inviting
Japanese 招待, 招き
  • 招待 (shōtai)act of inviting
  • 招き (maneki)act of inviting
  • 誘い (sasoi)act of inviting
  • 招待状 (shōtaijō)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Korean 초대, 청첩장
  • 초대 (chodae)act of inviting
  • 청첩장 (cheongcheopjang)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • 청첩 (cheongcheop)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • 초대장 (chodaejang)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Latin invītātiō
  • invītātiōact of inviting
Lithuanian kvieti̇̀mas
  • kvieti̇̀masact of inviting
Malay jemputan, jemputan
  • jemputanact of inviting
  • jemputandocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Māori pōwhiritanga, pōwhiri
  • pōwhiritangaact of inviting
  • pōwhiridocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Norwegian Bokmål invitasjon
  • invitasjonact of inviting
Polish zaproszenie, zaproszenie
  • zaproszenieact of inviting
  • zaproszeniedocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Portuguese convite, invitação
  • conviteact of inviting
  • invitaçãoact of inviting
  • convitedocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Russian приглаше́ние, приглаше́ние
  • приглаше́ние (priglašénije)act of inviting
  • приглаше́ние (priglašénije)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • приглаше́ние (priglašénije)allurement; enticement
  • зама́нивание (zamánivanije)allurement; enticement
  • завлека́ние (zavlekánije)allurement; enticement
Scottish Gaelic cuireadh, cuireadh
  • cuireadhact of inviting
  • cuireadhdocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
  • tàladhallurement; enticement
Spanish invitación, invitación
  • invitaciónact of inviting
  • invitacióndocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Swedish inbjudning, inbjudan
  • inbjudningact of inviting
  • inbjudandocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Tagalog aya
  • ayaact of inviting
Tamil அழைப்பு, அழைப்பிதழ்
  • அழைப்பு (aḻaippu)act of inviting
  • அழைப்பிதழ் (aḻaippitaḻ)document or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Turkish davet, çağrı
  • davetact of inviting
  • çağrıact of inviting
  • çağrımaact of inviting
  • davetiyedocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited
Ukrainian запро́шення
  • запро́шення (zapróšennja)act of inviting
Vietnamese lời mời, giấy mời
  • lời mờiact of inviting
  • giấy mờidocument or spoken words conveying the message by which one is invited

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with invitation

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

invitation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invitation

MLA

“invitation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invitation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “invitation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invitation.

Source: invitation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.