Invitation

n.kind, joyfulwarm

Meaning 1

A spoken or written request asking someone to attend, participate, or respond.

Reach for it when naming a voluntary opening to join an event or activity

The invitation included transport details and a clear way to decline.

everyday
offer
an opportunity or benefit is made available
not when An offer can be commercial and need not involve participation.
warm
welcome
acceptance and hospitality are the central feeling
not when A welcome follows or accompanies arrival and may not ask someone to attend.
professional
request
someone is directly asked to do something
not when A request can imply obligation, while an invitation should allow refusal.
formal
summons
authority requires attendance
not when A summons removes the voluntary choice essential to an invitation.

Something that encourages or makes an action more likely.

Reach for it when describing conditions that appear to welcome a response

The shaded bench is an invitation to pause rather than hurry through.

warm
encouragement
support makes an action feel possible
not when Encouragement can be verbal and need not create an actual opportunity.
professional
prompt
a cue encourages a specific response
not when Prompt is functional and lacks the social openness of invitation.
literary
opening
a new possibility becomes available
not when Opening is broader and may arise without anyone intentionally inviting it.

formal invitation
A formal invitation was sent after accessibility needs were confirmed.
accept the invitation
She chose to accept the invitation after reviewing the agenda.
open invitation
The long table felt like an open invitation to sit and talk.
extend an invitation
The council will extend an invitation after the venue confirms step-free access.

An invitation is not consent to every part of an event or relationship. Participation remains voluntary and bounded.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.