Elicitable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Possible to bring forth or provoke through various means
2. Able to be drawn out or stimulated by external influences
3. That which can be produced or extracted by certain actions or stimuli

Etymology: "Elicitable" is a plain formation: the verb "elicit" with the suffix "-able" attached, meaning capable of being drawn out or brought forth. The verb itself comes from Latin "elicere," which combined "e-" (out) with "lacere," to entice or lure, so the core image is of drawing something out of a person or thing by coaxing or pressure. That physical sense of drawing out still underlies the adjective. Something elicitable can be brought out by a particular prompt, action, or stimulus, whether a response from a witness, a reaction in a laboratory sample, or a signal from a nerve. The suffix "-able" follows the same pattern as words like "readable" or "washable," so the word needed no special coinage; it simply extended the verb into a description of what can be drawn forth.

Synonyms: obtainable, extractable, provable, explainable, derivable