Word of the Day

: February 3, 2010

elicit

verb ih-LISS-it

What It Means

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

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

elicit in Context

The announcement of the total amount of money that the charity walk raised for the children’s hospital elicited many cheers from the crowd.

Did You Know?

"Elicit" derives from the past participle of the Latin verb "elicere," formed by combining the prefix "e-" 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."