Dictionary.com
definitions

elicit

[ ih-lis-it ]
/ ɪˈlɪs ɪt /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR elicit ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to draw or bring out or forth; educe; evoke: to elicit the truth; to elicit a response with a question.

RELATED CONTENT

8 Theatrical Terms For The StageRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Denotation vs. ConnotationIf you want to discuss the meaning of a word, it helps to know the difference between denotation and connotation. These two terms are easy to confuse because they describe related concepts. Additionally, both denotation and connotation stem from the Latin word notāre, meaning “to note.” The denotation of a word or phrase is its explicit or direct meaning. Another way to think of it …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

juice, excerpt, quotation, eradication, clipping, selection, concentrate, essence, abstract, citation, distillation, infusion, passage, cutting, distillate, decoction, abstraction, derivation, evocation, separation

Nearby words

  1. eli,
  2. elia,
  3. eliade,
  4. elias,
  5. eliche,
  6. elide,
  7. elie,
  8. eliezer,
  9. eligibility,
  10. eligible

Origin of elicit

1635–45; < Latin ēlicitus drawn out (past participle of ēlicere), equivalent to ē- e-1 + lici- draw, lure + -tus past participle suffix
Related formse·lic·i·ta·tion, noune·lic·i·tor, nounnon·e·lic·it·ed, adjectiveun·e·lic·it·ed, adjective
Can be confusedelicit illicit
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for elicitation

elicit

/ (ɪˈlɪsɪt) /

verb (tr)

to give rise to; evoketo elicit a sharp retort
to bring to lightto elicit the truth
Derived Formselicitable, adjectiveelicitation, nounelicitor, noun

Word Origin for elicit

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

Word Origin and History for elicitation

elicit

v.

1640s, from Latin elicitus, past participle of elicere "draw forth," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + -licere, comb. form of lacere "to entice, lure, deceive" (related to laqueus "noose, snare;" see lace (n.)). Related: Elicited; eliciting; elicits; elicitation.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper