Explicit invocation refers to the deliberate and direct act of calling upon a specific function or procedure within a computer program. This type of invocation requires the user to explicitly state the name and parameters of the desired function, as opposed to relying on the program to automatically execute it. This allows for greater control and precision in the execution of the program, as well as the ability to pass specific data or instructions to the invoked function. Explicit invocation is commonly used in programming languages such as Java and C++, and is essential for creating complex and customizable programs.