Don’t feel bad if you have difficulty remembering the difference between evoke and invoke, as the words are quite similar in many ways and have considerable overlap in meaning. However, the words do differ, and you would not want to substitute one for the other. Invoke is used of putting into effect or calling upon such things as laws, authority, or privilege (“the principal invoked a rule forbidding students from asking questions”). Evoke is primarily used in the sense “to call forth or up” and is often found in connection with such things as memories, emotions, or sympathy.
educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.
educed order out of chaos
evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory.
a song that evokes warm memories
elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response.
careful questioning elicited the truth
extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information.
extracted a confession from him
extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly.
extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform
Example Sentences
The old house evoked memories of his childhood. His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.
Recent Examples on the WebThe great French writers of the last century tend to evoke, in recollection, a single hue, a color tone that resonates from their work into our imaginations. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 Of the seven costumes that Edris will wear as Cleopatra, several will evoke imagery related to Isis. Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 The poem’s tercets evoke an uneasy balance, until the fourth stanza, where a quatrain appears, suspending time for just a little bit longer, like those who leaped from the burning floors.New York Times, 8 Sep. 2022 The flowers today evoke the Palace in the immediate aftermath of Diana's death in 1997. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 31 Aug. 2022 The series' 10 episodes average about a half hour each and evoke a stage play, with a small cast of characters and most of the action confined to one room. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2022 Few objects evoke Gen X or millennial childhood as powerfully as the Trapper Keeper, essentially a large binder for your folders.BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2022 Bright colors, strong lines and harsh angles evoke the slash of modern machinery in Vorticist works. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 Circular and spotted markings evoke a sky map — loosely, the place where the rain came from. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
French évoquer, from Latin evocare, from e- + vocare to call — more at vocation