invitation

English

Etymology

From Middle English invitacioun, ynvytacioun, from Latin invītātio, reinforced by Middle French invitation. Displaced native Middle English lathinge from Old English laþung (see dialectal English lathing).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪn.vɪˈteɪ.ʃən/, /ɪn.vɪˈteɪ.ʃn̩/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

invitation (countable and uncountable, plural invitations)

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

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

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

     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.

2. A document or verbal message conveying an invitation.

   We need to print off fifty invitations for the party.

3. Allurement; enticement.
4. (fencing) A line that is intentionally left open to encourage the opponent to attack.
5. (Christianity) The brief exhortation introducing the confession in the Anglican communion-office.
6. (bridge) A 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.
   • 2001, Matthew Granovetter, Pamela Granovetter, The Best of Bridge Today Digest, page 113:

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

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

     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.

Synonyms

• (solicitation): invitement (obsolete), lathing (dialectal)

Derived terms

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin invitātiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.vi.ta.sjɔ̃/

• invitation

  (file)

Noun

invitation f (plural invitations)

1. invitation

Related terms

• inviter

Further reading

• “invitation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Interlingua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /in.vi.taˈtsjon/

Noun

invitation (plural invitationes)

1. invitation