elicit thoughts

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "elicit thoughts" is correct and can be used in written English.
This phrase can be used in a variety of contexts when one wants to evoke or draw out thoughts or opinions. For example, you might say, "I asked my colleague to elicit her thoughts on the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

You'll learn that making sentences in your head will elicit thoughts you didn't know you could have.

The New York Times

For most urban road users, images of gridlock elicit thoughts of freeway travel or downtown commuting, creating a powerful collective conversation about trading off urban opportunity for traffic strife.

Applied Geography

The word "muse" has the tendency to elicit thoughts of fair-skinned, lyre-playing goddesses with beachy curls.

Huffington Post

If the name of an ingredient isn't particularly inspiring, you can embellish it with other words that elicit thoughts of freshness or seasonality.

Huffington Post

A summary of the results of the study were emailed to the participants to elicit thoughts on findings and ensure that participants would be aware of the results.

BMC Family Practice

The questions used to elicit thoughts on ED and QoL in patient and provider interviews were similar to the operational definitions for extracting concepts about ED and QoL from articles and narratives.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Yet, instead of muzzling one man, it is time to take a look at the business behind music and use this opportunity to remember that the point of art is to evoke emotions and elicit thought and discussion.

Huffington Post

Experimentally eliciting thoughts and feelings of romantic love an emotion thought to have evolved for the purpose of relationship maintenance reduced attention to alternative partners at an early, automatic stage of visual perception.

Evolution and Human Behavior

However, the solution to life's problems often requires that such automatically elicited thoughts, associations, and captured attention be resisted and thought be directed or controlled.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

If "The Europeans" elicits thoughts of "The Americans," it's not an accident.

The New York Times

The first week of Resolution!, by contrast, elicited thoughts on the internal logic of choreography, the nuts and bolts of dance.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "elicit thoughts" when you want to describe a deliberate effort to draw out or encourage reflection on a topic. It is often used in research, education, and therapeutic contexts.

Common error

Be careful not to confuse "elicit", which means to draw out or evoke, with "illicit", which means illegal or forbidden. Using the wrong word can completely change the meaning of your sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "elicit thoughts" functions as a verb + noun phrase, where "elicit" is the transitive verb and "thoughts" is the direct object. As suggested by Ludwig, the phrase is used when intending to evoke and draw out opinions.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "elicit thoughts" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe the action of drawing out or prompting ideas and opinions from someone. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage is correct and appropriate in written English. Although not extremely frequent, the phrase appears across various contexts, especially in news media and scientific literature, indicating a preference for formal to neutral tone, making it a valuable addition to academic and professional writing. Remember to choose between similar phrases, considering if they are interchangeable or they make a subtle change in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

provoke thoughts

Changes the verb to "provoke", implying a stronger or more intentional stimulation of thought.

elicit understandings

Replaces "thoughts" with "understandings", focusing on comprehension rather than general thoughts.

stimulate thoughts

Similar to "provoke thoughts", but implies a more gentle encouragement of thinking.

elicit insights

Substitutes "thoughts" with "insights", suggesting a deeper level of understanding or revelation.

produce thoughts

Uses the verb "produce", indicating the creation or generation of thoughts.

generate thoughts

Uses "generate" to highlight the creation of new ideas or lines of reasoning.

induce thoughts

Uses the verb "induce", suggesting a more subtle or indirect prompting of thoughts.

elicit suggestions

Focuses on obtaining specific proposals or recommendations rather than general thoughts.

elicit perceptions

Emphasizes the process of drawing out individual interpretations or viewpoints.

elicit views

Similar to "elicit perceptions", but specifically refers to opinions or perspectives.

FAQs

How can I use "elicit thoughts" in a sentence?

You can use "elicit thoughts" to describe the act of drawing out someone's ideas or opinions. For example, "The teacher used open-ended questions to elicit thoughts from the students".

What are some alternatives to "elicit thoughts"?

Alternatives include "provoke thoughts", "stimulate thoughts", or "generate thoughts". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "elicit thoughts" or "gather thoughts"?

"Elicit thoughts" implies drawing out or prompting thoughts from someone, while "gather thoughts" suggests collecting or organizing existing thoughts. The choice depends on whether you are prompting new ideas or compiling existing ones.

What's the difference between "elicit thoughts" and "express thoughts"?

"Elicit thoughts" means to draw out or prompt someone else's thoughts, while "express thoughts" means to communicate your own thoughts. They are opposite actions: one is receiving, the other is giving.