Calling upon someone or something for help, support, or authority; bringing a rule or law into effect by mentioning it.
From Latin 'invocare' meaning 'to call upon,' combining 'in-' (into) and 'vocare' (to call). In the 1500s, it began meaning to summon spirits or gods; now it means to appeal to any source of authority or power.
When protesters hold signs saying 'We invoke the First Amendment,' they're using a word that originally meant calling upon gods and spirits—but now it means appealing to powerful rules and rights instead!
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