Elicit vs Illicit: Which One Do You Need?
To elicit is to draw something out. Illicit means illegal.
The question elicited a smile. An illicit trade.
The test that settles it
Only elicit is a verb. If the word describes something, it is illicit.
“___ a response” → an action, so elicit.
“an ___ affair” → describing it, so illicit.
Il- is the negative prefix, as in illegal and illegible. That is the one that forbids.
Elicit: to draw out
To get a response, a reaction or information from someone. Always a verb, and it needs an object.
The remark elicited laughter.
Investigators elicited a confession.
The survey elicited few replies.
Swap in draw out or obtain. If it works, elicit.
Illicit: not permitted
An adjective meaning forbidden by law or by custom. It is stronger and more disapproving than illegal alone, because it takes in the socially forbidden too.
The illicit trade in antiquities.
An illicit relationship.
Illicit substances were found.
Swap in forbidden. If it works, illicit.
Side by side
| Elicit | Illicit |
|---|---|
| Verb | Adjective |
| To draw out | Forbidden |
| Prefix e-, meaning out | Prefix il-, meaning not |
| Elicit a reply | An illicit deal |
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The advert illicited complaints. | The advert elicited complaints. | It drew them out. |
| elicit drugs | illicit drugs | Forbidden ones. |
| trying to illicit information | trying to elicit information | To draw it out. |
| an elicit meeting | an illicit meeting | A forbidden one. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- The question failed to ___ an answer.
- Police seized ___ goods.
- Her speech ___ a standing ovation.
- They conducted an ___ correspondence.
- How can we ___ honest feedback?
Show the answers
1. elicit 2. illicit 3. elicited 4. illicit 5. elicit
Frequently asked
Is elicit the same as solicit?
Close but not identical. To solicit is to ask for something directly; to elicit is to get it, sometimes indirectly.
What about illicit and elicit sounding alike?
They are near-homophones in fast speech, which is why the mistake appears so often in writing rather than speaking.
More words people confuse
