elicit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
elicits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
elicited,
past participle, past
-
eliciting
present participle
verb
-
to give rise to; evoke
to elicit a sharp retort
-
to bring to light
to elicit the truth
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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elicitsimple
-
elicitssimple
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have elicitedperfect
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has elicitedperfect
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am elicitingprogressive
-
are elicitingprogressive
-
is elicitingprogressive
-
have been elicitingperfect progressive
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has been elicitingperfect progressive
Past
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elicitedsimple
-
had elicitedperfect
-
was elicitingprogressive
-
were elicitingprogressive
-
had been elicitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of elicit
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
Explanation
When you elicit, you're bringing out a response of some sort. A good comedian elicits a lot of laughs. Elicit has to do with creating or provoking a response. A great speech will elicit cheers — a bad speech will elicit boos. Teachers try to elicit responses from students. If a friend smiles at you, it will probably elicit a smile of your own. In court, a lawyer might try to elicit mistakes and inconsistencies in the testimony of a witness. In all cases, whatever is elicited is some kind of response.
Vocabulary lists containing elicit
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Some Tricky Homonyms
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Grade 11, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s useful in situations that elicit any kind of strong emotions, not just anger.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
A felony would elicit a possible longer sentence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
But, he adds, "We also know that many of the restrictions and edicts they put in place, particularly on women and girls, don't help us elicit international support".
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Ms. Watson wants us to realize that questions have great value apart from whatever answers they elicit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
A showy solo in an Italian opera might elicit spontaneous applause and even encores.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Empathy, on stage, becomes a cornerstone of experiencing live performance that pulls heartstrings, inspires raucous laughter or elicits a collective groan when a poorly-hatched plan falters.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Each new alarm like this elicits anxieties and murmurs that souring private credit is about to become the new subprime mortgage crisis.
From Barron's ● May 30, 2026
While seeing Trout recapture the past elicits a warm nostalgia, everything happening around him evokes a familiar source of frustration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
They’ll all be together Saturday for the race that elicits emotion like no other.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
Like pregnancy, being a foreigner, Ashima believes, is something that elicits the same curiosity from strangers, the same combination of pity and respect.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
The scene is a neat bookend to the “You can’t handle the truth” outburst elicited from Jack Nicholson’s Col.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Strong performances are elicited from José Eduardo Moreno, who plays Klion’s son Hemon, Antíkona’s fiancé, and Zilah Mendoza, who plays Cihuatlahtoani Euridice, Klion’s wife.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
While most modern disciplines are friendly contests, the shin-kicking elicited winces and moans of sympathy from the crowd of more than 2,500 spectators on Friday.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
And in the recent past, there have been plenty of other A.I.-inflected ceremonies that proceeded without disruption, even as a few others elicited some outrage.
From Slate ● May 20, 2026
It was not intentional—I only meant to express my thanks—but I have elicited something dangerous.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Now, don’t get me wrong: The movie isn’t exactly garnering Oscar buzz, or even eliciting the fervent “you’ve got to see this!” refrain that followed 2014’s “Gone Girl” around.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
He cites the advent of the player draft in 1936 for equalizing teams and eliciting bettor interest—but it created fan interest, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Finally, be wary of “rage bait” — intentionally provocative messages or content designed to boost engagement on social media platforms by eliciting negative reactions.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 16, 2026
“Why are we paying extras $180 a day when they look so plastic anyway?” he asked, eliciting slightly nervous chuckles from the audience.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
It was inconceivable that the Tsimt- sum should sink without eliciting a peep of concern.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
