What does elicited mean?
Elicited is the past tense and past participle of the verb "elicit," which means to draw out or evoke a response, reaction, or piece of information — often something not immediately forthcoming. When a question, stimulus, or situation has elicited a reply, a laugh, a confession, or data, it has succeeded in bringing that response forth, usually through careful or skillful prompting rather than force. The word carries a formal register and appears most often in academic writing, journalism, law, psychology, and scientific research, where precision about how information was obtained matters. For example, a researcher might report that a survey elicited thousands of responses, or that a therapist's gentle questions elicited long-buried memories. A useful memory aid is the contrast with its sound-alike "illicit," which means forbidden or unlawful: an interviewer may elicit an illicit secret, but the two words belong to entirely different worlds of meaning.
verbElicited is the past tense and past participle of the verb "elicit," meaning to draw out or evoke a response, answer, reaction, or piece of information from someone or something, often through skillful questioning or subtle means.
- To have drawn out or evoked a response, answer, or reaction (as of elicit).
"The detective's calm questioning elicited a full confession from the suspect."
"The survey elicited responses from more than two thousand participants."
"Her speech elicited thunderous applause from the audience."
Despite sounding like its near-twin "illicit," elicited is entirely lawful — it's what skilled interviewers do when they coax answers out of people.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of elicited
Elicited derives from the Latin verb elicere, formed from the prefix ex- ("out") plus lacere ("to entice" or "to lure"), literally meaning "to lure out." The verb entered English as "elicit" in the early 17th century, retaining this core sense of drawing or enticing something out. It shares its Latin roots with related English derivatives such as "elicitation" and "delicacy" (via delicere, a closely related Latin compound), reflecting the shared idea of allurement or drawing forth.
Related word forms
How elicited is actually used
Formal register; common in academic, journalistic, legal, and research contexts. Often used in passive-like constructions such as "responses were elicited."
Easily confused with elicited
"Illicit" is an adjective meaning illegal or forbidden, whereas "elicited" is a verb form meaning drawn out or evoked.