# evocation

/ˌivoʊˈkeɪʃən/ (US) · /ɪvəkˈeɪʃən/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/evocation
Updated: 2026-10-19

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- Often followed by 'of' + noun phrase, as in 'evocation of childhood'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.