WordLens

elicit

1 of 1verb
/ɪˈlɪsɪt/
Forms:elicits,eliciting,elicited,elicited
1

to make someone react in a certain way or reveal information

transitive
  • The detective skillfully posed questions to elicit a confession from the suspect.
  • Her heartfelt story was intended to elicit sympathy and understanding from the audience.
  • The teacher used thought-provoking prompts to elicit insightful responses from the students.
  • The journalist's probing interview questions were designed to elicit candid responses from the interviewee.
  • The survey was carefully crafted to elicit specific feedback and opinions from the participants.
2

to help a student come to a conclusion themselves instead of providing them with an answer directly

transitive
  • During the science experiment, the instructor deliberately posed questions to elicit hypotheses and conclusions from the students.
  • In the philosophy class, the professor's role was to elicit philosophical reasoning and guide students in constructing their own arguments.
  • During the language lesson, the instructor employed clues to elicit vocabulary words from the students.
  • The math teacher used a series of hints to elicit the correct formula from the students.
  • In the science experiment, the instructor asked guiding questions to elicit the expected outcomes from the students.
3

to employ logical reasoning or careful deduction to arrive at truth or information

transitive
  • The detective meticulously analyzed the evidence to elicit the sequence of events leading to the crime.
  • By examining the patterns in the data, the scientist was able to elicit a groundbreaking theory.
  • The historian used archival research to elicit a comprehensive understanding of the historical events.
  • The mathematician employed complex algorithms to elicit the solution to the problem.