elicitation
C1Formal, academic, technical
Definition
Meaning
The act of drawing out information, a response, or a reaction from someone
In linguistics, the process of obtaining linguistic data from native speakers; in research, a technique to gather data through questioning or stimuli
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a deliberate, often skillful process of obtaining something latent or hidden; carries connotations of methodical extraction rather than casual asking
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences; same meaning and usage patterns in both varieties
Connotations
Slightly more common in British academic writing on education and social sciences; equally technical in American research contexts
Frequency
Low frequency in general discourse but stable in specialized fields across both varieties
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
elicitation of + noun (elicitation of responses)elicitation through + noun (elicitation through questioning)elicitation from + noun (elicitation from participants)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None commonly associated”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; might appear in market research contexts: 'The focus group facilitated the elicitation of consumer preferences.'
Academic
Common in linguistics, psychology, social sciences: 'The study employed various elicitation techniques to gather native speaker intuitions.'
Everyday
Very rare; replaced by simpler terms like 'asking' or 'finding out'
Technical
Standard term in linguistic fieldwork, experimental psychology, and qualitative research methodologies
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The researcher will elicit responses through careful questioning.
- Teachers often try to elicit opinions from quieter students.
American English
- The detective elicited a confession after hours of questioning.
- Good interviewers elicit detailed stories from their subjects.
adverb
British English
- Information was gathered elicitatively through structured interviews.
- The data was elicitatively obtained rather than observed.
American English
- He elicitatively probed for deeper responses.
- The survey was designed elicitatively to maximize participant engagement.
adjective
British English
- The elicitation phase of the study proved most challenging.
- We developed new elicitation materials for the fieldwork.
American English
- Elicitation tasks varied across participant groups.
- The elicitation protocol followed ethical guidelines strictly.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher's elicitation of answers helped students learn.
- Elicitation means getting information from people.
- Successful elicitation requires careful question design.
- The linguist's elicitation of native speaker judgments formed the data core.
- Methodological rigour in data elicitation ensures research validity.
- The elicitation of tacit knowledge through structured interviews revealed unexpected patterns.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of ELICITATION as E-LIKE-IT-ation - you make someone 'like' to share information you extract from them
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS A HIDDEN OBJECT (drawing out, extracting, pulling forth)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'выявление' (detection/revelation) - elicitation is active extraction, not passive discovery
- Not equivalent to 'опрос' (polling/surveying) - more specific and methodological
- Don't translate as 'получение' (obtaining) - misses the 'drawing out' nuance
Common Mistakes
- Using 'elicitation' for casual questioning (overly formal)
- Confusing with 'eliciting' (verb form)
- Misspelling as 'elicitiation' or 'eliscitation'
- Using without object (e.g., 'We did elicitation' vs 'elicitation of data')
Practice
Quiz
In which field is 'elicitation' a technical term with specific methodology?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it specifically refers to systematic, methodological extraction of information, often using specialized techniques beyond simple questioning.
It's very formal and technical; in everyday speech, simpler terms like 'finding out', 'asking', or 'getting information' are more appropriate.
Both involve obtaining something, but 'elicitation' specifically implies drawing out through stimulation or questioning, while 'extraction' is more physical/forceful and broader.
Yes, the verb is 'elicit' (to draw forth or bring out). 'Elicitation' is the noun form describing the process or result.