Etymology From Middle French inviter, from Latin invītō. Displaced native English lathe
1
To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something.
We invited our friends round for dinner.
A Nimph is marryed to a Fay, Great preparations for the Day, All Rites of Nuptials they recite you, To the Brydall and inuite you.1630, Michael Drayton, The Muses Elizium, Lately diſcouered, by a New Way over Parnassvs, London: Thomas Harper, page 67:
2
To request formally.
I invite you all to be seated.
I always invite criticism of my essays.
3
To encourage.
Wearing that skimpy dress, you are bound to invite attention.
The refusal to maintain such a navy would invite trouble, and if trouble came would insure disaster.1902, Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's Second State of the Union Address:
1 more example
"Blindness invites confidence," replied Carrados. "We are out of the running—human rivalry ceases to exist. […]"1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
4
To allure; to draw to; to tempt to come; to induce by pleasure or hope; to attract.
to inveigle and invite th' unwary sense1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
shady groves, that easy sleep invite1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
1 more example
There no delusive hope invites despair.1782, William Cowper, The Progress of Error:
An open invite has been given to all UK workers to join in common cause with the union, as more than 40,000 RMT members at Network Rail and 13 train operating companies walked out on June 21 in the first of three 24-hour strikes over pay, conditions and job security.2022 June 29, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Strikes set to escalate as RMT issues rallying call”, in RAIL, number 960, page 6: