English Dictionary

Definition of “solicit”

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solicit (səˈlɪsɪtPronunciation for solicit) 

Definitions

verb

  1.  when intr, foll by for to make a request, application, or entreaty to (a person for business, support, etc)
  2. to accost (a person) with an offer of sexual relations in return for money
  3. to provoke or incite (a person) to do something wrong or illegal

Alternative Forms

soˌliciˈtation noun

Word Origin

C15: from Old French solliciter  to disturb, from Latin sollicitāre  to harass, from sollicitus  agitated, from sollus  whole + citus,  from ciēre to excite

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= request, seek, ask for, petition, crave, pray for plead for canvass, beg for
= appeal to ask, call on, lobby, press, beg, petition, plead with implore, beseech, entreat, importune, supplicate,
= work as a prostitute tout for business make sexual advances engage in prostitution

Usage examples

  • It had been sheer stupidity on his part to believe that Scott-Hughes could solicit help without running into bureaucratic entanglements.
    Terman, Douglas, Cormorant (1994)
  • Similarly, we will solicit reviewers by email and invite them to access the paper via the website.
    British Medical Journal (2002)
  • The two groups also began to solicit proposals for a new event.
    CBC (2005)
  • Then, as word-of-mouth became gossip between writers, they began to actively solicit invitations.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • The main board directors visited one or more of the groups during the evening to solicit reactions and to answer questions.
    Thompson, Sir Peter, Sharing the Success - the story of NFC (1990)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'S'

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