We have changed our privacy policy. In addition, we use cookies on our website for various purposes. By continuing on our website, you consent to our use of cookies. You can learn about our practices by reading our privacy policy.

Examples

Example 1

No matter how hard the stand-up comedian tried, he couldn't elicit a response from the stone-faced audience.

Tough crowd. In this example, elicit is the way to go because the comedian is trying to draw out a laugh (or maybe even some spirited heckling?) from the audience.

Example 2

Darren believes illicit activities are taking place in his mysterious new neighbor's house, so he always has his binoculars at the ready.

Haven't we heard this story before? Maybe in the classic Hitchcock film Rear Window or the not-quite-a-classic Shia LaBeouf film Disturbia? Either way, illicit is the right word for this well-worn plot because it means the same thing as illegal.

Example 3

After the robbery, the police tried and failed to elicit information from the crime's sole witness: Pookie Doodles, the family dog.

We bet she was in on it. Here, elicit is the correct word because the cops are trying to get more information out of Pookie.