# invite

/ˌɪnˈvaɪt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/invite
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to ask someone to an event

verb · CEFR A2

to ask someone to come to a party, a meal, or another social event.

For teachers: to request the presence or participation of someone in a social or professional capacity.

- We should invite the new neighbours over for coffee this weekend.
- The couple decided to invite only their closest relatives to the wedding ceremony to keep the atmosphere intimate and manageable.

### 2. to request formally

verb · CEFR B1 · Formal

to ask for something in a formal way, like asking for questions or applications.

For teachers: to solicit or request something formally, such as opinions, applications, or feedback.

- The manager invited questions from the staff at the end of the meeting.
- The university is currently inviting applications for the new research fellowship in environmental science.

### 3. to encourage a result

verb · CEFR B2

to act in a way that makes a particular result likely to happen, often a bad one.

For teachers: to behave in a manner that tends to cause or encourage a particular reaction or consequence.

- Leaving your car unlocked just invites trouble.
- The government's refusal to negotiate may invite further criticism from international human rights organisations.

## Examples

- I received an invite to her birthday party.
- She sent out a digital invite to all her coworkers for the Friday happy hour.
- While a formal wedding usually requires a printed card, a casual dinner party often only needs a quick text message invite to get everyone together.

---

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.