solicitor
Americannoun
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solicitors
plural
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a person who solicits.
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a person whose business it is to solicit business, trade, etc.
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an officer having charge of the legal business of a city, town, etc.
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(in England and Wales) a member of that branch of the legal profession whose services consist of advising clients, representing them before the lower courts, and preparing cases for barristers to try in the higher courts.
noun
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(in Britain) a lawyer who advises clients on matters of law, draws up legal documents, prepares cases for barristers, etc, and who may represent clients in certain courts Compare barrister
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(in the US) an officer responsible for the legal affairs of a town, city, etc
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a person who solicits
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of solicitor
1375–1425; late Middle English solicitour < Anglo-French; Middle French soliciteur. See solicit, -or 2
Explanation
If you get into trouble in England, don't ask for a lawyer. Find a solicitor. England has two levels of attorneys: for big problems, you'll need a barrister, but for your hypothetical legal troubles, a solicitor should do nicely. Some highly placed attorneys in the U.S. are also called solicitors. The lawyer in charge of government cases that come before the Supreme Court is the Solicitor General, and that was Elena Kagan's job before President Barack Obama appointed her to the Supreme Court. Solicitor isn’t always a privileged position. The person who knocks on your door asking you to contribute to some worthy cause is also a solicitor — someone who asks for — or solicits — donations.
Vocabulary lists containing solicitor
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The solicitor general said a new and secure ballroom is also crucial for social gatherings and foreign dignitaries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Patterson's solicitor additionally accused the prosecution of an "unfair and oppressive" cross-examination during the trial.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
He previously was the solicitor general of Arkansas and a lawyer at Walmart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican who served as attorney general for eight years, during which time he hired Murrill as the state’s solicitor general, opposed 10 of 12 compensation claims during his tenure.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
State solicitor W. H. Murdock advised store owners to order demonstrators to leave, and when they didn’t, have them arrested for trespassing, invoking the Royal Ice Cream case as a precedent.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
He said he wonders if investors read the full disclosures made by such solicitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Nick wasn't as nervous as some because he'd recently secured a full-time job at a solicitors working in their IT department.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
As the siblings made their way to a psychiatric assessment at their solicitors in Blyth, a detective saw John sitting upright in a wheelchair talking to his brother.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
They can also be hired by solicitors to deliver legal letters.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
Then a new batch of solicitors began begging for admittance.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
