The meanings of these words are not related.
Elicit is a verb meaning “to pull certain information or actions out of someone”—in other words, to cause someone to say or do something in particular by directly interacting with them. The objects of the verb elicit are often the nouns response, reaction, suggestion, idea, or other synonyms. And elicit often indicates asking a question, but not necessarily:
I could not elicit responses from them by asking, so now I will do so by threatening them!
To remember the meaning of elicit, note that it begins with the prefix e- which comes from the Latin root ex- meaning out of—as in (pulling something) out of (someone).
Illicit is a totally unrelated adjective, in which the prefix il- means negative, such as in illegitimate, illegible, illiterate, etc. Illicit means “against the rules” or “not socially acceptable”—possibly illegal or immoral, but not necessarily:
He was having an illicit romantic affair with his boss.
Illicit affair and illicit substances (drugs) are common phrases using this word.
More Examples of How to Use "Elicit" in a Sentence
- Ron, an experienced lawyer, elicited many details from his client during the deposition.
- The crafty politician elicited several rounds of applause from the crowd.
- Cynthia, the guest speaker, elicited sympathy from many viewers as she talked about her son's condition and the loss of their home.
- Eliciting feedback is a great way to identify missed opportunities and make quick.
- Eliciting memories can help people reconnect with their past and understand why they behave the way they do.
- We elicited lots of different ideas from our group and used them as the basis for our final report.
- She's trying to elicit too much information from me, so I won’t be talking to her again.
More Examples of How to Use "Illicit" in a Sentence
- Illicit activities come with several risks, both to the individual and to society as a whole.
- The illicit use of illegal drugs has become a major problem in our town.
- The suspect was arrested for possession of an illicit substance.
- Bill's illicit affair lasted for several years—until his wife found out about it.
- Illicit substances were hidden in a compartment of the suspect’s luggage.