What does eliciting mean?
To be eliciting something is to draw it out — an answer, a reaction, a memory, or a confession — especially from a person who has not offered it readily. The word belongs to formal and professional registers, appearing frequently in journalism, law, psychology, and education: an interviewer may be skilled at eliciting candid responses, a photograph may be eliciting nostalgia, or a lawyer may focus on eliciting testimony that supports her case. What sets eliciting apart from mere asking is its implication of artfulness; the response is coaxed forth with subtlety and skill rather than demanded outright. The term derives from the Latin 'elicere', meaning to lure or draw out, and shares its root with 'illicit', though the two words mean very different things despite sounding alike. For writers seeking a precise way to describe the delicate work of drawing responses from people or provoking reactions from audiences, eliciting remains an indispensable choice.
verb (present participle of elicit)Drawing out or evoking a response, answer, or reaction from someone; bringing forth information, emotion, or action that was latent or not readily offered.
- To draw out or evoke a response, answer, or piece of information from someone.
- To bring forth or provoke an emotional reaction, such as laughter, sympathy, or outrage.
"The detective's calm questioning proved remarkably effective at eliciting the truth from the reluctant witness."
"The teacher had a gift for eliciting thoughtful answers even from the quietest students."
"The film's final scene was masterful at eliciting tears from the audience."
Though 'eliciting' and 'illicit' sound exactly alike, one means coaxing the truth out of someone — and the other describes why you needed to coax it in the first place.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eliciting
'Eliciting' derives from the Latin verb 'elicere', formed from 'e-' (out) plus 'lacere' (to lure or entice), literally meaning to draw out by enticement. English adopted the verb 'elicit' in the early seventeenth century, initially in a physical sense of drawing something out before shifting toward its modern figurative use for drawing out responses and emotions. The Latin root also gave English words such as 'licit', 'illicit', and 'license', all connected to ideas of what is permitted or drawn forth.
Related word forms
How eliciting is actually used
Register: formal to neutral. 'Eliciting' carries a connotation of skillful, often gentle extraction — it implies tact rather than force, which distinguishes it from 'extracting' or 'demanding'. It is common in academic, journalistic, legal, and psychological writing.
Easily confused with eliciting
'Illicit' means illegal or forbidden, while 'eliciting' means drawing out a response or information — they sound nearly identical but are unrelated in meaning.