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invitation

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noun [countable] British English pronunciation: invitation /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ 
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singularinvitation
pluralinvitations
  1. 1
    a written or spoken request asking someone to spend time with you socially or to come to a social event

    The wedding invitations went out yesterday.

    invitation to:

    Nobody in the office had received an invitation to the party.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  invitationThesaurus entry for this meaning of invitation
  2. 2
    a request to someone to do something or go somewhere
    invitation to do something:

    She has received an invitation to join a new environmental policy body.

    decline/refuse an invitation:

    The senator declined our invitation to comment on the allegations.

    standing/long-standing/open invitation (=with no fixed date):

    The former president has accepted a long-standing invitation to address the conference.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  invitationThesaurus entry for this meaning of invitation
  3. 3

    invitation

     or

    open invitation

     an action or event that makes something unpleasant more likely to happen
    invitation to:

    He described the low wages paid to police officers as almost an invitation to corruption.

    an (open) invitation to do something:

    The banks will take the minister’s comments as an open invitation to charge their customers higher rates.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  invitationThesaurus entry for this meaning of invitation

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This is the British English definition of invitation. View American English definition of invitation.

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