What does "solicit" mean?
Solicitation.
Solicit
/səˈlɪsɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Solicitation.
- Grammar: solicit is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accost, accost, address, angle for.
- Useful contrasts: denial, deny, discard feedback.
- Usage evidence: West is in trouble not because he is a gay man, but because he is a man who was apparently willing to use the power of his public office to solicit sexual favors.
How to use "solicit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "solicit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "solicit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "solicit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "solicit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "solicit" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accost" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "solicit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Solicitation. archaic
"(1) How many male or female students are named (or otherwise identified) in the context of a solicit? (2) How many words of a solicit are directed to a particular student?"
Verb
- 1 To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or bring about an event. transitive
"to solicit alms, or a favour"
- 2 make a solicitation or petition for something desired wordnet
- 3 To woo; to court. transitive
"American railroads are not permitted to operate long-haul road routes, but the I.C.C. decision of 1954 did permit them to solicit trailer business in, say, New York for Chicago provided the trailer was piggybacked in between."
- 4 incite, move, or persuade to some act of lawlessness or insubordination wordnet
- 5 To persuade or incite one to commit some act, especially illegal or sexual behavior. transitive
"That fruit […] sollicited her longing eye."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 approach with an offer of sexual favors wordnet
- 7 To offer to perform sexual activity, especially when for a payment. transitive
"My girlfriend tried to solicit me for sex, but I was tired."
- 8 make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently wordnet
- 9 To make a petition.
- 10 make amorous advances towards wordnet
- 11 To disturb or trouble; to harass. archaic, transitive
- 12 To urge the claims of; to plead; to act as solicitor for or with reference to. transitive
"Should My brother henceforth study to forget The vow that he hath made thee, I would ever Solicit thy deserts."
- 13 To disturb; to disquiet. obsolete, rare, transitive
"1611-1615, George Chapman, Iliad, Book XVI Hath any ill solicited thine ears?"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"West is in trouble not because he is a gay man, but because he is a man who was apparently willing to use the power of his public office to solicit sexual favors."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "solicit"?
Common synonyms include: accost, accost, address, angle for, appeal, appeal to.
How do you use "solicit" in a sentence?
West is in trouble not because he is a gay man, but because he is a man who was apparently willing to use the power of his public office to solicit sexual favors.
How do you pronounce "solicit"?
Pronounced /səˈlɪsɪt/.
Etymology
From Middle English soliciten, solliciten, from Old French soliciter, solliciter, borrowed from Latin sollicitō (“stir, disturb; look after”), from sollicitus (“agitated, anxious, punctilious”, literally “thoroughly moved”), from sollus (“whole, entire”) + perfect passive participle of cieō (“shake, excite, cite, to put in motion”).