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Elicit vs Illicit

Definitions​

  • ‘Elicit’ (verb) means ‘to cause or provoke a response or outcome’.
  • ‘Illicit’ (adj) refers to something illegal or not permitted.

What’s the difference between ‘elicit’ and ‘illicit’?​

Because they look and sound similar, these two words are easily confused. However they are very different.

  • First, they are not semantically related (as shown by the definitions above).
  • Second, one is a verb (elicit) while the other is an adjective (illicit). You cannot use either word in any other way.
  • The verb ‘elicit’ is frequently followed by nouns such as ‘information’, ‘beliefs’ or ‘response’. The adjective ‘illicit’ is frequently used with nouns such as ‘drugs’, ‘use’ or ‘substance’.

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How they’re used​

Example sentences with ‘elicit’

  • We used a questionnaire to elicit teachers' beliefs on collaborative learning.
  • Such characteristics were found to elicit negative responses from practitioners.

Example sentences with ‘illicit’

  • Illicit drug use decreased by half thanks to implemented measures.
  • Little research has been carried out on the illicit use of stimulants by college students.