elicit

play

verb elic·it \ i-ˈli-sət \

Definition of elicit

transitive verb

1 :to draw forth or bring out (something latent or potential)

hypnotism elicited his hidden fears

2 :to call forth or draw out (something, such as information or a response)

her remarks elicited cheers

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elicitation

play \i-ˌli-sə-ˈtā-shən, ˌē-\ noun

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elicitor

play \i-ˈli-sə-tər\ noun

See elicit defined for English-language learners

See elicit defined for kids

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Examples of elicit in a Sentence

If ever there was a two-way pleasure street, it's the delight a baby takes in being tickled and the joy the parent experiences in the tumble of laughter it elicits. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 17 Jan. 2005
Gingrich elicits perhaps the greatest sympathy when he talks about the challenge of graduating from a rabble-rousing backbencher in the House minority to presiding over (and trying to control) the first Republican majority in 40 years. —Richard L. Berke, New York Times Book Review, 17 May 1998
In a wild, captive wolf that is not socialized to man, approach will elicit flight and, if the wolf is cornered, a defensive reaction may be triggered, which is termed the critical-distance reaction. —Michael W. Fox, The Soul of the Wolf, 1980
She's been trying to elicit the support of other committee members.
My question elicited no response.
She's been unable to elicit much sympathy from the public.

Recent Examples of elicit from the Web

A now-viral video of a woman criticizing a CNN reporter for lacking empathy in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey is eliciting some strong responses about media and the trauma Houston residents are facing.

— christina coleman, Essence.com, "Harvey Survivor Who Criticized CNN Anchor Isn't Just 'Upset,' She's Traumatized And Exhausted," 30 Aug. 2017
Still, the breakout senior season was not enough to elicit an offer from Epps’ home-state Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.

— jon hale, The Courier-Journal, "Stephen Johnson, Josh Allen, Isaiah Epps offer UK talent from unusual recruiting territories," 25 Aug. 2017
Their obsessions and yearnings are meant to elicit both laughs and pathos.

— misha berson, The Seattle Times, "‘American Archipelago’ paints with too broad a brush," 3 Aug. 2017
In the second game, Guillen booted Geovany Soto's face mask after an argument at home plate, eliciting laughs from both dugouts. 8.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Ranking all 20 Cubs-White Sox City Series," 25 July 2017
Scarce parking is among the foremost concerns of my anti-growth neighbors, so much so that, as above, the mere fear of being unable to find a spot is enough to elicit complaints.

— conor friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "How Venice Beach Became a Neighborhood for the Wealthy," 24 July 2017
The loss elicited a few laughs as the players hugged and then walked across the Mall together toward a sponsor bar.

— jim rendon, New York Times, "In Social Sports, It’s About Camaraderie, Not Competition," 14 July 2017
The response elicited a ton of fans asking that Shawn notice their work, too, and of course, Elena thanking him for putting a spotlight on her hard work.

— brianna wiest, Teen Vogue, "Shawn Mendes Shared an Amazingly Realistic Piece of Fan Art," 11 July 2017
What might elicit a bout of deep introspection in one person sometimes serves as encouragement to continue foot-in-the-mouth behavior in another.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "The stupid — and vile — things people say on social media," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'elicit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Latin Roots of elicit

Elicit derives from the past participle of the Latin verb elicere, formed by combining the prefix e- (meaning "away") with the verb lacere, meaning "to entice by charm or attraction." It is not related to its near-homophone, the adjective illicit—that word, meaning "unlawful," traces back to another Latin verb, licēre, meaning "to be permitted." Nor is elicit related to the verb solicit, even though it sounds like it should be. Solicit derives from Latin sollicitare ("to disturb"), formed by combining the adjective sollus, meaning "whole," with the past participle of the verb ciēre, meaning "to move."

Origin and Etymology of elicit

Latin elicitus, past participle of elicere, from e- + lacere to allure

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1605

See Words from the same year

elicit Synonyms

Synonyms

educe, evoke, inspire, raise

Related Words

drag, dredge (up), extort, extract, pull, wangle, wrest, wring; coax (out), gain, get, obtain, procure, secure; bare, disclose, discover, divulge, evince, expose, reveal, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil

Near Antonyms

disregard, forget, ignore, miss, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over

Synonym Discussion of elicit

educe, evoke, elicit, extract, extort mean to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved. educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.