Call vs. Invitation — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 13, 2024
A call is a request for someone to participate or engage, often immediate and direct. An invitation is a more formal or polite offer to attend or join an event or activity.
Difference Between Call and Invitation
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A call is typically direct and used in various contexts, such as a request to attend a meeting, a summons, or a command. It implies a certain level of urgency or obligation and is often immediate in nature. On the other hand, an invitation is usually extended for social events or formal gatherings and carries a tone of politeness and choice, allowing the recipient the option to accept or decline.
In professional settings, a call might be used to gather employees for a sudden meeting or to action, emphasizing promptness and sometimes authority. Whereas an invitation in such settings often refers to scheduled events, conferences, or social gatherings, highlighting inclusivity and offering recipients the time to consider their availability and interest.
Calls are often communicated through phone calls, announcements, or direct orders, reflecting their immediate and sometimes impersonal nature. Invitations, however, are commonly extended via mailed cards, emails, or personal messages, which allows for a more personalized and thoughtful approach, suggesting a different level of respect and consideration for the recipient’s decision.
The response expected from a call is typically swift action or acknowledgment, reflecting the urgency or demand it conveys. In contrast, an invitation warrants a reply at the recipient’s convenience, respecting their decision-making process and their freedom to accept or decline based on personal preference or availability.
The language used in calls is more imperative, aimed at eliciting an immediate response or action. On the other hand, invitations are crafted with care, often decorated and written in a tone that conveys warmth and welcoming, making it clear that the recipient’s presence would be valued but is not obligatory.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A request for someone to participate or engage, often with urgency.
A polite offer to attend an event or activity.
Context
Professional, emergency, or immediate situations.
Social events, formal gatherings, or special occasions.
Tone
Direct, urgent, sometimes authoritative.
Polite, optional, warm.
Communication Medium
Phone calls, announcements, direct orders.
Mailed cards, emails, personal messages.
Response Expected
Immediate action or acknowledgment.
Considered reply, with the option to decline.
Compare with Definitions
Call
A request for someone to participate immediately.
The manager issued a call for all hands to discuss the urgent matter.
Invitation
An offer to participate in a gathering or activity.
The invitation to join the book club was extended by email.
Call
A summoning or convening.
The committee’s call for a meeting was abrupt.
Invitation
An appeal or encouragement to engage with something.
The exhibition serves as an invitation to explore new art.
Call
An appeal or demand for action.
The charity made a call for donations.
Invitation
A formal or polite request to attend an event.
She received an invitation to the gala.
Call
Direct invitation to engage in a task or duty.
He received a call to join the emergency response team.
Invitation
A card or message asking someone to attend a specific event.
They sent out wedding invitations last month.
Call
An order or command.
The general’s call to arms was heeded by many.
Invitation
A welcome or encouragement to take a particular action.
The open door was an invitation to enter.
Call
To say in a loud voice; announce
Called my name from across the street.
Calling out numbers.
Invitation
The act of inviting.
Call
To demand or ask for the presence of
Called the children to dinner.
Call the police.
Invitation
A spoken or written request for someone's presence or participation.
Call
To demand or ask for a meeting of; convene or convoke
Call the legislature into session.
Invitation
An allurement, enticement, or attraction.
Call
To order or request to undertake a particular activity or work; summon
She was called for jury duty. He was called to the priesthood.
Invitation
See altar call.
Call
To give the command for; order
Call a work stoppage.
Invitation
The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.
An invitation to a party, to a dinner, or to visit a friend
Call
To communicate or try to communicate with by telephone
Called me at nine.
Invitation
A document or verbal message conveying an invitation.
We need to print off fifty invitations for the party.
Call
To dial (a telephone number)
Call 911 for help.
Invitation
Allurement; enticement.
Call
To lure (prey) by imitating the characteristic cry of an animal
Call ducks.
Invitation
(fencing) A line that is intentionally left open to encourage the opponent to attack.
Call
To cause to come to the mind or to attention
A story that calls to mind an incident in my youth.
Invitation
(Christianity) The brief exhortation introducing the confession in the Anglican communion-office.
Call
To name
What will you call the baby?.
Invitation
(bridge) A bid that tells one's partner that game or slam is likely if their hand is at the strong end of what they have indicated.
Call
To consider or regard as being of a particular type or kind; characterize
Let's call the game a draw. I'd hardly call him a good manager.
Invitation
The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company; as, an invitation to a party, to a dinner, or to visit a friend.
Call
To designate; label
Nobody calls me a liar.
Invitation
A document written or printed, or spoken words, conveying the message by which one is invited.
Call
To demand payment of
Call a loan.
Invitation
Allurement; enticement.
She gives the leer of invitation.
Call
To require the presentation of (a bond) for redemption before maturity.
Invitation
A request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something;
An invitation to lunch
She threw the invitation away
Call
To force the sale of (a stock or commodity) by exercising a call option.
Invitation
A tempting allurement;
She was an invitation to trouble
Call
To stop or postpone (a game) because of bad weather, darkness, or other adverse conditions.
Call
To declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee
Call a runner out.
Call a penalty for holding.
Call
To indicate a decision in regard to
Calling balls and strikes.
Called a close play at home plate.
Call
To give the orders or signals for
A quarterback who called a poor play.
Call
To describe the intended outcome of (one's billiard shot) before playing.
Call
In poker, to place a bet equal to (the preceding bet or bettor).
Call
To indicate or characterize accurately in advance; predict
It is often difficult to call the outcome of an election.
Call
To challenge the truthfulness or genuineness of
Called the debater on a question of fact.
Call
To shout directions in rhythm for (a square dance).
Call
To speak loudly; shout
A swimmer who was calling for help.
Call
To utter a characteristic cry. Used of an animal
Geese calling in the early morning.
Call
To communicate or try to communicate with someone by telephone
I called twice, but no one answered.
Call
To pay a short visit
We called to pay our respects. He called on the neighbors but they weren't home.
Call
(Games) In poker, to place a bet equal to the preceding bet.
Call
A loud cry; a shout.
Call
The characteristic cry of an animal.
Call
A sound or an instrument made to imitate such a cry, used as a lure
A moose call.
Call
A telephone communication or connection.
Call
Need or occasion
There was no call for an apology.
Call
Demand
There isn't much call for buggy whips today.
Call
A claim on a person's time or life
The call of duty.
Call
A short visit, especially one made as a formality or for business or professional purposes.
Call
A summons or invitation.
Call
A signal, such as that made by a horn or bell.
Call
The sounding of a horn to encourage hounds during a hunt.
Call
A strong inner urge or prompting; a vocation
A call to the priesthood.
Call
The strong attraction or appeal of a given activity or environment
The call of the wild.
Answered the call of the desert.
Call
A roll call.
Call
A notice of rehearsal times posted in a theater.
Call
A decision made by an umpire or referee.
Call
An announced description of a game or race, as by a sportscaster.
Call
A direction or series of directions rhythmically called out to square dancers.
Call
A demand for payment of a debt.
Call
A demand to submit bonds to the issuer for redemption before the maturity date.
Call
An option to buy a certain quantity of a stock or commodity for a specified price within a specified time.
Call
A demand for payment due on stock bought on margin when the value has shrunk.
Call
A telephone conversation; a phone call.
I received several phone calls today.
I received several calls today.
Call
An instance of calling someone on the telephone.
I made a call to Jim, but he didn't answer.
Call
A short visit, usually for social purposes.
I paid a call to a dear friend of mine.
Call
(nautical) A visit by a ship or boat to a port.
The ship made a call at Southampton.
Call
A cry or shout.
He heard a call from the other side of the room.
Call
A decision or judgement.
That was a good call.
Call
The characteristic cry of a bird or other animal.
That sound is the distinctive call of the cuckoo bird.
Call
A beckoning or summoning.
I had to yield to the call of the wild.
Call
The right to speak at a given time during a debate or other public event; the floor.
The Prime Minister has the call.
I give the call to the Manager of Opposition Business.
Call
(finance) call option
Call
(cricket) The act of calling to the other batsman.
Call
(cricket) The state of being the batsman whose role it is to call (depends on where the ball goes.)
Call
(uncountable) A work shift which requires one to be available when requested, i.e. on call.
Call
(computing) The act of jumping to a subprogram, saving the means to return to the original point.
Call
A statement of a particular state, or rule, made in many games such as bridge, craps, jacks, and so on.
There was a 20 dollar bet on the table, and my call was 9.
Call
(poker) The act of matching a bet made by a player who has previously bet in the same round of betting.
Call
A note blown on the horn to encourage the dogs in a hunt.
Call
(nautical) A whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his mate to summon the sailors to duty.
Call
A pipe or other instrument to call birds or animals by imitating their note or cry. A game call.
Call
An invitation to take charge of or serve a church as its pastor.
Call
(archaic) Vocation; employment; calling.
Call
A reference to, or statement of, an object, course, distance, or other matter of description in a survey or grant requiring or calling for a corresponding object, etc., on the land.
Call
(law) A lawyer who was called to the bar (became licensed as a lawyer) in a specified year.
Call
(in negative constructions) Need; necessity.
There's no call for that kind of bad language!
Call
To use one's voice.
Call
(intransitive) To request, summon, or beckon.
That person is hurt; call for help!
Call
(intransitive) To cry or shout.
Call
(transitive) To utter in a loud or distinct voice.
To call the roll of a military company
Call
(ambitransitive) To contact by telephone.
Why don’t you call me in the morning?
Why don’t you call tomorrow?
Call
(transitive) To declare in advance.
The captains call the coin toss.
Call
To rouse from sleep; to awaken.
Call
To declare (an effort or project) to be a failure.
After the third massive failure, John called the whole initiative.
Call
To request that one's band play (a particular tune).
Call
To visit.
Call
To pay a (social) visit often used with "on", "round", or "at"; used by salespeople with "again" to invite customers to come again.
We could always call on a friend.
The engineer called round whilst you were away.
Call
To stop at a station or port.
This train calls at Reading, Slough and London Paddington.
Our cruise ship called at Bristol Harbour.
Call
To come to pass; to afflict.
Call
To name, identify or describe.
Call
(ditransitive) To name or refer to.
Why don’t we dispense with the formalities. Please call me Al.
Call
(in passive) Of a person, to have as one's name; of a thing, to have as its name.
I’m called John.
A very tall building is called a skyscraper.
Call
(transitive) To predict.
He called twelve of the last three recessions.
Call
To state, or estimate, approximately or loosely; to characterize without strict regard to fact.
They call the distance ten miles.
That's enough work. Let's call it a day and go home.
Call
(transitive) To claim the existence of some malfeasance; to denounce as.
I call bullshit.
She called foul on their scheme.
Call
(obsolete) To disclose the class or character of; to identify.
Call
Direct or indirect use of the voice.
Call
(cricket) (of a batsman): To shout directions to the other batsman on whether or not they should take a run.
Call
(of a fielder): To shout to other fielders that he intends to take a catch (thus avoiding collisions).
Call
To equal the same amount that other players are currently betting.
I bet $800 and Jane raised to $1600. My options: call (match her $1600 bet), reraise or fold.
Call
To match the current bet amount, in preparation for a raise in the same turn. (Usually, players are forbidden to announce one's play this way.)
I’ll call your 300, and raise to 600!
Call
(transitive) To state, or invoke a rule, in many games such as bridge, craps, jacks, and so on.
My partner called two spades.
Call
To require, demand.
He felt called to help the old man.
Call
To cause to be verbally subjected to.
The basis for his conclusion was called into doubt
Call
To lay claim to an object or role which is up for grabs.
I call the comfy chair!
Call
To announce the early extinction of a debt by prepayment, usually at a premium.
Call
To demand repayment of a loan.
Call
To jump to (another part of a program) to perform some operation, returning to the original point on completion.
A recursive function is one that calls itself.
Call
(Yorkshire) To scold.
Call
(sports) To make a decision as a referee or umpire.
The goal was called offside.
Call
(cue sports) To tell in advance which shot one is attempting.
Every shot must be called.
Call
To command or request to come or be present; to summon; as, to call a servant.
Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain
Call
To summon to the discharge of a particular duty; to designate for an office, or employment, especially of a religious character; - often used of a divine summons; as, to be called to the ministry; sometimes, to invite; as, to call a minister to be the pastor of a church.
Paul . . . called to be an apostle
The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Call
To invite or command to meet; to convoke; - often with together; as, the President called Congress together; to appoint and summon; as, to call a meeting of the Board of Aldermen.
Now call we our high court of Parliament.
Call
To give name to; to name; to address, or speak of, by a specifed name.
If you would but call me Rosalind.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
Call
To regard or characterize as of a certain kind; to denominate; to designate.
What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Call
To state, or estimate, approximately or loosely; to characterize without strict regard to fact; as, they call the distance ten miles; he called it a full day's work.
[The] army is called seven hundred thousand men.
Call
To show or disclose the class, character, or nationality of.
This speech calls him Spaniard.
Call
To utter in a loud or distinct voice; - often with off; as, to call, or call off, the items of an account; to call the roll of a military company.
No parish clerk who calls the psalm so clear.
Call
To invoke; to appeal to.
I call God for a witness.
Call
To rouse from sleep; to awaken.
If thou canst awake by four o' the clock.I prithee call me. Sleep hath seized me wholly.
Call
To speak in loud voice; to cry out; to address by name; - sometimes with to.
You must call to the nurse.
The angel of God called to Hagar.
Call
To make a demand, requirement, or request.
They called for rooms, and he showed them one.
Call
To make a brief visit; also, to stop at some place designated, as for orders.
He ordered her to call at the house once a week.
Call
The act of calling; - usually with the voice, but often otherwise, as by signs, the sound of some instrument, or by writing; a summons; an entreaty; an invitation; as, a call for help; the bugle's call.
I rose as at thy call, but found thee not.
Call
A signal, as on a drum, bugle, trumpet, or pipe, to summon soldiers or sailors to duty.
Call
An invitation to take charge of or serve a church as its pastor.
Call
A requirement or appeal arising from the circumstances of the case; a moral requirement or appeal.
Dependence is a perpetual call upon humanity.
Running into danger without any call of duty.
Call
A divine vocation or summons.
St. Paul himself believed he did well, and that he had a call to it, when he persecuted the Christians.
Call
Vocation; employment.
Call
A short visit; as, to make a call on a neighbor; also, the daily coming of a tradesman to solicit orders.
The baker's punctual call.
Call
A note blown on the horn to encourage the hounds.
Call
A whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his mate, to summon the sailors to duty.
Call
The cry of a bird; also a noise or cry in imitation of a bird; or a pipe to call birds by imitating their note or cry.
Call
A reference to, or statement of, an object, course, distance, or other matter of description in a survey or grant requiring or calling for a corresponding object, etc., on the land.
Call
The privilege to demand the delivery of stock, grain, or any commodity, at a fixed, price, at or within a certain time agreed on.
Call
See Assessment, 4.
Call
A telephone connection;
She reported several anonymous calls
He placed a phone call to London
He heard the phone ringing but didn't want to take the call
Call
A special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course;
He was disappointed that he had not heard the Call
Call
A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition;
The speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience
Call
A demand especially in the phrase
The call of duty
Call
The characteristic sound produced by a bird;
A bird will not learn its song unless it hears it at an early age
Call
A brief social visit;
Senior professors' wives no longer make afternoon calls on newcomers
Call
A demand by a broker that a customer deposit enough to bring his margin up to the minimum requirement
Call
A demand for a show of hands in a card game;
After two raises there was a call
Call
A request;
Many calls for Christmas stories
Not many calls for buggywhips
Call
An instruction that interrupts the program being executed;
Pascal performs calls by simply giving the name of the routine to be executed
Call
Brief visit in an official or professional capacity;
The pastor's visits to his parishioners
A visit to a dentist
The salesman's call on a customer
Call
(sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee;
He was ejected for protesting the call
Call
The option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
Call
Assign a specified, proper name to;
They named their son David
The new school was named after the famous Civil Rights leader
Call
Get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone;
I tried to call you all night
Take two aspirin and call me in the morning
Call
Ascribe a quality to or give a name of a common noun that reflects a quality;
He called me a bastard
She called her children lazy and ungrateful
Call
Order, request, or command to come;
She was called into the director's office
Call the police!
Call
Utter a sudden loud cry;
She cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle
I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me
Call
Pay a brief visit;
The mayor likes to call on some of the prominent citizens
Call
Call a meeting; invite or command to meet;
The Wannsee Conference was called to discuss the `Final Solution'
The new dean calls meetings every week
Call
Order or request or give a command for;
The unions called a general strike for Sunday
Call
Order, summon, or request for a specific duty or activity, work, role;
He was already called 4 times for jury duty
They called him to active military duty
Call
Indicate a decision in regard to;
Call balls and strikes behind the plate
Call
Stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather;
Call a football game
Call
Read aloud to check for omissions or absentees;
Call roll
Call
Send a message or attempt to reach someone by radio, phone, etc.; make a signal to in order to transmit a message;
Hawaii is calling!
A transmitter in Samoa was heard calling
Call
Declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee;
Call a runner out
Call
Utter a characteristic note or cry;
Bluejays called to one another
Call
Utter in a loud voice or announce;
He called my name
The auctioneer called the bids
Call
Make a prediction about; tell in advance;
Call the outcome of an election
Call
Challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offense;
He deserves to be called on that
Call
Consider or regard as being;
I would not call her beautiful
Call
Demand payment of (a loan);
Call a loan
Call
Give the calls (to the dancers) for a square dance
Call
Greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or name;
He always addresses me with `Sir'
Call me Mister
She calls him by first name
Call
Make a stop in a harbour;
The ship will call in Honolulu tomorrow
Call
Make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands;
He called his trump
Call
Require the presentation of for redemption before maturation;
Call a bond
Call
Lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal;
Call ducks
Call
Challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of;
Call the speaker on a question of fact
Call
Rouse somebody from sleep with a call;
I was called at 5 A.M. this morning
Common Curiosities
What is the etiquette for responding to an invitation?
It is polite to respond to an invitation by accepting or declining it in a timely manner, respecting the sender's effort.
What is a call?
A call is a direct request or demand for someone to engage or participate in something, often with a sense of urgency.
What is an invitation?
An invitation is a polite or formal offer to attend or join an event or activity, allowing the recipient to choose to accept or decline.
Can a call be informal?
Yes, calls can be informal, especially in personal contexts, but they still convey a sense of immediacy.
Are invitations only for social events?
Primarily, yes, but invitations can also be extended for formal occasions and professional gatherings.
How do calls and invitations differ in tone?
Calls are urgent and direct, while invitations are polite and offer a choice.
Can declining an invitation have social repercussions?
Depending on the context and the relationship between the parties, declining an invitation might have social implications.
How does culture influence the perception of calls and invitations?
Cultural norms can greatly influence how calls and invitations are issued, received, and perceived.
Is an invitation legally binding?
No, invitations are not legally binding; they offer the option to participate without obligation.
Can a call be converted into an invitation?
Yes, a direct call can be softened into an invitation, changing the tone from authoritative to optional.
How should one respond to a call?
A call usually requires immediate acknowledgment or action.
Can a call also mean a phone call?
Yes, in a literal sense, a call can refer to a phone call, which is a direct request for communication.
Do digital platforms affect how calls and invitations are perceived?
Yes, digital platforms can change the perception, making calls more immediate and invitations less formal.
What makes an invitation formal?
The language, presentation, and the nature of the event contribute to an invitation's formality.
Is there a difference in preparation between a call and an invitation?
Yes, a call often requires immediate action with little preparation, while an invitation is planned with more detail.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
