elicit

[ ih-lis-it ]
See synonyms for: elicitelicitedelicitingelicits on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to draw or bring out or forth; educe; evoke: to elicit the truth;to elicit a response with a question.

Origin of elicit

1
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin ēlicitus “drawn out” (past participle of ēlicere ), equivalent to ē- “from, out of” (see e-1) + lici- “draw, lure” + -tus past participle suffix

Other words from elicit

  • e·lic·i·ta·tion [ih-lis-i-tey-shuhn] /ɪˌlɪs ɪˈteɪ ʃən/ noun
  • e·lic·i·tor, noun

Words that may be confused with elicit

Words Nearby elicit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use elicit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for elicit

elicit

/ (ɪˈlɪsɪt) /


verb(tr)
  1. to give rise to; evoke: to elicit a sharp retort

  2. to bring to light: to elicit the truth

Origin of elicit

1
C17: from Latin ēlicere to lure forth, from licere to entice

Derived forms of elicit

  • elicitable, adjective
  • elicitation, noun
  • elicitor, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012