Word Choice: Elicit vs. Illicit

When words sound or look similar, like ‘elicit’ and ‘illicit’, it can be easy to use them incorrectly. If you do this, though, your reader may fail to grasp what you mean. Here, we explain the difference between ‘elicit’ and ‘illicit’.

Elicit (Provoke)

‘Elicit’ is a verb meaning ‘provoke’ or ‘bring out’. For example, if a journalist is interviewing someone, we might say they are ‘eliciting’ information from the interviewee. Likewise, if someone says or does something that provokes someone else to act, we might say they ‘elicited’ a response.

Illicit (Illegal or Prohibited)

‘Illicit’ is an adjective which means ‘unlawful’ or ‘not permitted’. For example, illegal drugs are often called ‘illicit’ substances.

It can also be used more loosely to mean ‘disapproved of’. We might say, for instance, that someone cheating on their spouse is having an ‘illicit’ affair, even though they are not breaking any laws.

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