Elicit Meaning
/ɪˈlɪsɪt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo evoke, educe (emotions, feelings, responses, etc.); to generate, obtain, or provoke as a response or answer.
verbTo draw out, bring out, bring forth (something latent); to obtain information from someone or something.
Sentence Examples
We plan to elicit opinions from the public.
Tom tried to elicit a response from Mary.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian's joke managed to ____ loud laughter from the entire audience.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We plan to ____ opinions from the public.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin elicitus from eliciō (“draw forth”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Shouts of laughter were elicited, smart biddings drawn out, from the whispers of a timid miss, to the stentorian voice of a fox-hunting squire, and not a few fracas from parties either contending for a supposed prize, or disclaiming their chance for it,..."
— 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 223–224:
"Elizabeth's queenship elicited her subjects' fantasies and fears that she was, as Shakespeare's Cleopatra puts it, “no more but e'en a woman,” and that a woman ruling over men would necessarily subject her entire realm to unbridled feminine sexual desire."
— 1994, M. Lindsey Kaplan, Katherine Eggert, ““Good queen, my lord, good queen” - Sexual Slander and the Trials of Female Authority in “The Winter's Tale””, in Renaissance Drama, volume 25, →DOI, page 91 of 89–118:
"He visited three department stores in New York and asked the attendant a question that would elicit the answer fourth floor; for example, he might have asked Excuse me, where are women's shoes?"
— 2009, William B. McGregor, Linguistics: An Introduction Answer Key:
"An elicit act of equity."
— 1660, Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium, or the Rule of Conscience in All Her General Measures; […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] James Flesher, for Richard Royston […], →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian's joke managed to ____ loud laughter from the entire audience.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We plan to ____ opinions from the public.