elicit
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to give rise to; evoke
to elicit a sharp retort
-
to bring to light
to elicit the truth
Other Word Forms
- elicitable adjective
- elicitation noun
- elicitor noun
Etymology
Origin of elicit
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin ēlicitus “drawn out” (past participle of ēlicere ), equivalent to ē- “from, out of” ( 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.
It is unclear what information the prosecution may be able to elicit from Beaulieu.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
"I think it's important that we educate teens, parents, and teachers about how algorithms and social media might exploit our psychological biases to sow division and elicit violence."
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Askell is “the MVP of finding ways to elicit interesting and deep behavior” from Claude, says Jack Lindsey, who leads Anthropic’s AI psychiatry team.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
You may find yourself amazed at the level of emotional investment these scenes elicit, and all over the fate of a bug.
From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026
And many people came to him— many to trade with him, many to deceive him, many to listen to him, many to elicit his sympathy, many to listen to his advice.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
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.
