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The Latin Roots of Elicit
Say them fast—or even slow—in isolation, and no one will know which one you mean: elicit and illicit both rhyme with the likes of explicit and complicit. But beyond being auditorily indistinguishable, they are used very differently. Illicit is an adjective applied to no-nos. It’s used to describe things people aren’t supposed to do. Something illicit is not permitted especially because it is illegal. Elicit, on the other hand, is a verb most often used to talk about calling forth or drawing out a response or reaction from someone, as in “her onstage antics elicited roars of laughter from the audience.” The Latin ancestors of this pair are easy to confuse too. Elicit comes from elicitus, illicit from illicitus. But going back just a little further, we find that elicit traces back beyond elicitus to lacere, meaning “to allure,” while illicitus comes ultimately from licēre, meaning “to be permitted.”
Examples of elicit in a Sentence
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.
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
But learning to elicit a resilient response, instead, can transform the negative effects of stress and allow someone to evolve in a healthier way.
—Tara Narula, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
In Venezuela, the demise of military officers elicited little sympathy, and that of Cubans even less.
—Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
Semprevivo then elicited testimony that the custodial offices were in the basement not far from the facilities the Hawks used, so maintenance people would have had opportunity to witness wrongdoing, had there been any, at other times of day.
—Luke Cyphers, Rolling Stone, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elicit
Cite this Entry
“Elicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elicit. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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elicit
verb
