Should We Say Elicit or Illicit? When and When Not To

Two similar-sounding words are likely to create confusion in the minds of people. For instance, it’s quite common to see some writers interchangeably use “elicit” and “illicit”, which are two terms that mean very different things. So, what do the words “elicit” and “illicit” mean, or how are they different from each other?

“Elicit” is a verb that denotes “to evoke” or “draw out”. “Illicit” signifies anything or activity that’s “illegal”, “unlawful”, “immoral”, and/or “unethical”. A reaction or response that “elicit” evokes could be intangible or abstract, like feelings or emotions, or more concrete, as in facts.

Using “elicit” and “illicit” incorrectly in your texts is a blunder that can cause tremendous embarrassment. Read on to learn more about the two terms, how to use them in texts correctly, and lots more.

“Elicit” – Definition

The verb “elicit” means “to bring forth or invoke a response or reaction”. Words that can be synonymously used or are related to “elicit” include “evoke”, “educe”, “extract”, etc.

Though not as common as the other two synonyms, “educe” denotes “bringing out potential”, which is quite close to “elicit” in meaning. Unlike “educe” and most of its synonyms, “elicit” implies some skill or effort to draw forth a response. However, it doesn’t entail pressure or force, unlike “extract”.

The Origin of the Term “Elicit”

The term “elicit” has links with the word “lacere”, meaning “to allure” or “to entice by attraction or charm”. On the face of it, however, the term seems to have derived direct or major inspiration from “elicitus”.

Other theories indicate “elicit” has been derived from “elicere”, a Latin verb formed by merging the “e-” prefix (which means “away”) and “lacere”. “Elicere” indicates “drawn out by magic or trickery”. Though blatantly obvious, it’s worth mentioning that “elicit” has no links or relation with “illicit” or even the term “solicit”, which means “try to obtain” or “ask for”.

In case you’re curious, “solicit” is derived from the Latin word “sollicitare”, which means “to disturb”. And “sollicitare” has nothing to do with “solitaire”, the playing card game.

“Illicit” – Definition

“Illicit”, as the spelling indicates, denotes a thing that’s “non-permissible” or “not correct morally”. The word typically signifies illegal activities or goods, but it could also refer to behavior that’s “socially taboo” or “morally questionable”. Alternate terms or words closer to the meaning of “illicit” include “illegal”, “criminal”, “lawless”, “wrongful”, etc.

Though it’s believed to be the other term or synonym for “illegal”, maybe due to their similar spellings, “illicit” is a lot closer in meaning to “unlawful”. Like “unlawful”, “illicit” can also denote things that are legal but not allowed.

In other words, an “illegal” act is a violation of the law. “Illicit” or “unlawful” action is not breaking the law, but it’s most likely breaching moral or ethical standards. At times, it could denote “breaking the law”, too.

Also, “illicit” suggests “clandestine”, which means “done secretively or kept secret” because of the illicit nature of the thing.

The Roots of “Illicit”

The word “illicit” has its roots in “licēre”, meaning “to be permitted”, and also “illicitus”. “Licēre” has given birth to or inspired another modern English term, “licit”, which means “permitted by law”. That makes sense as “illicit” is the opposite term or antonym of “licit”.

Using the Term “Elicit” in Texts

In modern English, the verb “elicit” is used to call forth or draw a reaction or response from someone. For example:

• During the amazing concert, the lead artist delivered multiple emotion-filled speeches about love, acceptance, and kindness, eliciting roars from the crowd.

“Elicit” is primarily used as a verb in texts. But it’s available or used in its adjectival form too. When used as an adjective, it denotes “acts that stem from one’s will”. For example:

• Fasting is a good and elicit an act of temperance.

Such adjectival usage, however, is archaic. Therefore, the above sentence may be difficult to comprehend for most people and may also read as grammatically incorrect.

Using the Word “Illicit” in Writings

The term “illicit” is not commonly used in speech as it’s used in written texts. The adjective has a negative connotation or used in relation with texts that discuss “illegal” things. For example:

• In the underground bazaar, the news of people buying and selling illicit items such as drugs using bitcoin has become quite the talk.
• As part of the anti-smuggling team, Tim’s responsibility was intercepting illicit drug shipments from neighboring countries.

“Illicit” could also be incorporated into texts that evoke a feeling related to things that are non-permissible. For example:

• Women initially did not drink alongside men in public. Later, nightclubs and their dazzlingly illicit atmospheres dissolved that restriction.

The word “illicit” could also serve as the alternate term for “illegal”. For example:

• John was extolled by the general public and duly honored by the department for taking illicit drugs and illegal firearms off the streets.

As mentioned above, “illicit” is closer to “unlawful” in meaning than “illegal”. For example:

• Sex was an illicit topic during the decade and the time before that period.

“Sex” is not “illegal” per se. But if it’s forced, pedophilia, adultery, incest, etc., it’s punishable by law.

Despite its semantic closeness to “unlawful”, “illicit” may fail to communicate that effectively, or the connotation isn’t apparent enough, which could result in some misinterpreting the term. Therefore, it’s recommended to use more explicit words such as “unethical”, “immoral”, etc. For example:

• Eating mince pieces is illicit in the region on Christmas day.

In the above sentence, it’s not clear whether “illicit” denotes “immoral”, “illegal”, or “unethical”. Only those who understand the context of the sentence or are familiar with that regional belief may infer the correct meaning.

“Illicit” is a broader word compared to “illegal”. It encompasses an “ethical” or “moral” connection that “illegal” does not. Anything “illegal” can be deemed “illicit”, but not all “illicit” things or activities are “illegal”.

The word “illicit” can, at times, distance itself from anything “illegal” or “immoral” considerably or could be used in texts in a more fun way. For example:

• The horse hopped the fence at the animal preserve to meet and mate with the donkey, its seemingly illicit lover.

The above are just a few different ways to incorporate “illicit” in texts.

Comparing “Elicit” and “Illicit”

When you say either of the words aloud, and at a relatively quick pace, it can be hard to ascertain which one is which. Not to mention, both terms rhyme with words such as “complicit” and “explicit”. Though indistinguishable auditorily, the two words mean different things and are, therefore, incorporated into texts in their unique ways, as explained above.

However, thanks to their similarities, it’s not that difficult to get confused between the two. Thus, it’s imperative to learn to differentiate between the two by learning more about the words themselves and knowing how to pronounce them or employ some mnemonic tricks.

Remembering the Difference Between “Elicit” and “Illicit”

A mnemonic or memory trick is considering the common synonyms of the two terms. As mentioned above, “illicit” typically signifies anything “illegal” or “immoral”. To remember its meaning, note that both “illicit” and “illegal” have “ill-” in them. Similarly, “elicit” and “evoke” begin with “e”.

Remembering the part of speech also helps. As “elicit” is primarily a verb, it is used in different tenses and forms – for example, “elicited”, “elicits”, and “eliciting”. But because “illicit” is purely an adjective, the term has no real inflections. In other words, “illicit” cannot be written as “illicited”, “illicits”, or “illiciting”. Your spell check will, in fact, point out that error.

Example Sentences with the Word “Elicit”

The following are sentences incorporating the verb “elicit”:

• His remarks elicited massive cheers from the audience.
• Hypnotism can elicit or bring out hidden fears.
• Pay cuts could elicit employee backlash.
• Her untimely death elicited an outburst of sympathy from her friends and neighbors.
• The officer asked the same question in different ways during the interrogation to elicit the confession he wanted.
• Pete was disappointed to see his declaration of love eliciting no real or favorable response from Lindsay.
• Her silly dance performance elicited laughs from the crowd.

Example Sentences with the Term “Illicit”

Here is a list of sentences using “illicit” correctly:

• The new law has only made it easier for some government officials and criminals to mask their illicit activities.
• The internal compliance officers were tasked with monitoring and keeping a tab on the illicit activities in the area.
• It was an illicit move to evade or altogether avoid the taxes.
• He is worried his wife will eventually learn about his illicit affairs.
• He was put behind bars for smuggling illicit liquor into the state.

Conclusion

“Elicit” and “illicit” are similar phonetically and with their spellings, but they mean very different things. They are not homophones or are near-homophones. The fact that they sound quite similar is the primary reason why most people get confused between the two terms.

To not get mixed up between them, learn their meanings to know when to use them in your sentences. The mnemonic tricks mentioned above should also help with delineating the two.