in ‧ vi ‧ ta ‧ tion /ˌɪnvəˈteɪʃ ə n, ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ invitation , ↑ invite ; adjective : ↑ uninvited , ↑ inviting ≠ ↑ uninviting ; verb : ↑ invite ; adverb : ↑ invitingly ]
1 . [countable] a written or spoken request to someone, inviting them to go somewhere or do something
an invitation to do something
an invitation to speak at a scientific conference
invitation to
Roger never turns down an invitation to dinner.
2 . [uncountable] the act of being invited or of inviting someone to go somewhere or do something
by invitation
Attendance at the seminars is by invitation only (=only those people who have been invited can attend) .
They were always dropping by, usually without invitation.
at sb’s invitation/at the invitation of somebody
Kegl traveled to Nicaragua at the invitation of the Education Minister.
3 . [countable] a card inviting someone to attend a party, wedding etc
party/wedding invitation
We sent out more than 300 wedding invitations.
invitation to
Did you get an invitation to Jason’s party?
4 . [singular, uncountable] encouragement to do something
take something as an invitation to do something
He seemed to take my silence as an invitation to talk.
5 . be an open invitation for/to somebody to make it very easy for someone to rob you or harm you:
Leaving the car unlocked is just an open invitation to thieves.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1, 2 & 3)
■ verbs
▪ get/receive an invitation
Did you get an invitation to Janet's party?
▪ have an invitation
The following week, I had an invitation to give a talk in Cambridge.
▪ accept an invitation
She accepted his invitation to dinner.
▪ take up somebody's invitation/take somebody up on their invitation (=accept someone's invitation)
I decided to take them up on their invitation to dinner.
▪ refuse/turn down an invitation ( also decline an invitation formal )
She turned down an invitation to take part in a televised debate.
▪ give somebody an invitation ( also issue/extend an invitation formal )
He has issued an invitation to the Chinese president to come to Washington.
▪ send (somebody) an invitation
We sent out the invitations last week.
▪ thank somebody for an invitation
I'll have to write a letter thanking Martha for the invitation to her wedding.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + invitation
▪ a party/wedding invitation
He had a wedding invitation from Rob and Jen.
▪ a dinner/lunch invitation
Fred's wife has accepted the dinner invitation.
▪ a formal/official invitation
The president received a formal invitation to visit Nigeria.
▪ a personal invitation
Each parent was sent a personal invitation for the school's open day.
▪ somebody's kind invitation
It gives me great pleasure to accept your kind invitation.
▪ a special invitation
We received a special invitation to attend a reception at the embassy.
▪ an open/standing invitation (=an invitation to do something at any time you like)
Phillip kindly gave me an open invitation to stay at his villa in Tuscany.
▪ a long-standing invitation (=an invitation which someone has had for a long time)
He had accepted a long-standing invitation to address the conference.
■ invitation + NOUN
▪ an invitation card (=a card with an invitation printed on it)
Everyone entering will have to show an invitation card.
■ phrases
▪ a flood of invitations (=a lot of invitations)
He got a flood of invitations to appear on TV and radio shows.