Word
evocation
Phoneticsevo·ca·tion
US/ˌivoʊˈkeɪʃən/
UK/ɪvəkˈeɪʃən/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a strong reminder that brings a memory, feeling, or image to your mind. You feel it when a smell, song, or photo takes you back to another time.
n. recollection or vivid summoning of a memory, feeling, or image into conscious awareness, often triggered by art, language, or sensory detail. Frequently appears in the pattern 'evocation of' followed by a noun phrase.
Examples
“That song is a strong evocation of summer.”
“The smell of fresh bread creates an evocation of her grandmother's kitchen on Sunday mornings.”
“The novel's evocation of a coastal city after the war, with its damp alleys and late trams, lingers long after the plot fades.”
Examples
simple
“That song is a strong evocation of summer.”
contextual
“The smell of fresh bread creates an evocation of her grandmother's kitchen on Sunday mornings.”
complex
“The novel's evocation of a coastal city after the war, with its damp alleys and late trams, lingers long after the plot fades.”
Usage
Often followed by 'of' + noun phrase, as in 'evocation of childhood'.
Real-World Examples
“Far Away , which premiered in 2000, was a startling evocation of the threat both of localised fascism and of global crisis.” “The first act is a beautifully shaded evocation of a people whose lives are governed by weather, distance, and the stubborn logic of survival.” “The Strangers, despite (or perhaps because of) its many ragged idiosyncrasies, is a remarkably successful evocation of loss.” “The unabashedly rustic college band and the official music club are both examples of a meticulous evocation of the student body’s social divide.” Etymology
From Middle French évocation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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