solicitor
Americannoun
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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
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.
“The examples you give to support that,” Roberts told the solicitor general, “strike me as very quirky.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
The solicitor said that Nicholson was now retired and "no longer has any boats and no longer employs fishing staff".
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
A solicitor for Carey questioned the detective inspector giving evidence about the injuries sustained by the constable during the incident.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Sturgeon's solicitor Aamer Anwar said the answer was standard legal advice and rejected claims it hindered the investigation which this week resulted in the conviction of her estranged husband Peter Murrell for embezzlement.
From BBC • May 27, 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
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.
