elicit

Elicit is a verb meaning to draw out or bring forth a response, reaction, or information from someone or something. It is transitive and typically takes a direct object, such as "a response" or "an answer." The word derives from Latin elicere, literally "to draw out."

In everyday use, one might say, "The question elicited a thoughtful reply," or "Her smile elicited laughter." In research and education, elicitation refers to techniques used to obtain language data or assess knowledge, often involving prompts, questions, or tasks designed to provoke specific responses.

Elicit is closely related to evoke and extract, but it emphasizes actively provoking a response through interaction rather than simply causing it by external stimuli. It is easy to confuse with illicit, which means forbidden by law; they are not related.

Examples: "The interviewer's probing questions elicited detailed information from the witness." When writing, choose elicit for drawing out responses, and use evoke for more abstract, mood-based reactions.