solicit

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /səˈlɪsɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #32231

Meanings

1

verb
To ask for or try to obtain something, such as help, money, or opinions.

The charity solicited donations from local businesses.
2

verb
To try to persuade someone to do something, especially something wrong.

They were accused of soliciting their colleagues to destroy the documents.
3

verb
To offer or ask for sex in exchange for payment.

She was arrested for soliciting on the street.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to ask for or try to obtain... supplicate

Word family

Forms solicitedsolicitingsolicits

Derived forms nonsolicitnonsolicitednonsolicitingresolicitsoliciteesolicitoryunsolicited

Related forms solicitation solicitor solicitous solicitude unsolicited

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”).

*solh₂- Proto-Indo-European soliciten Middle English soliciter Old French sollicitō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# solicit

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /səˈlɪsɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 32231

## Meanings
1. To ask for or try to obtain something, such as help, money, or opinions.
2. To try to persuade someone to do something, especially something wrong.
3. To offer or ask for sex in exchange for payment.

## Examples
- The charity solicited donations from local businesses.
- They were accused of soliciting their colleagues to destroy the documents.
- She was arrested for soliciting on the street.

## Derived Forms
- nonsolicit
- nonsolicited
- nonsoliciting
- resolicit
- solicitee
- solicitory
- unsolicited

## Related Forms
- solicitation
- solicitor
- solicitous
- solicitude
- unsolicited

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *solh₂-
- Root: soliciten
- Root: soliciter
- Root: sollicitō

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Solicit is 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *solh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), soliciten (Middle English), soliciter (Old French), and sollicitō (Latin). Current senses include to ask for or try to obtain something, such as help, money, or opinions and to try to persuade someone to do something, especially something wrong. The wider family includes derived forms such as nonsolicit, nonsolicited, nonsoliciting, resolicit, and solicitee; related words such as solicitation, solicitor, solicitous, and solicitude.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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