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:
Simon Creighton, a leading sentencing law solicitor who represented Quaye, said the case had raised two basic questions of fairness.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Mr O'Kelly was a father-of-five who studied for the priesthood before becoming a solicitor and moving from Coalisland to Bangor when he began working for the DPP.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Wright denies any wrongdoing and has cooperated with the Environment Agency's investigation, his solicitor said after an earlier High Court hearing.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
It could be a trusted family member or a solicitor, but check whether they charge a fee.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The forenoon was a dreary time, but at noon the solicitor came: Mr. Marquand, of Wholeman, Sons, Marquand & Lidderdale.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
He said that discussions on whether to take further legal action will take place with solicitors "later on".
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The ruling said Hellmich's solicitors wrote to the tribunal to deny the allegations against her, but she was not called to give evidence and did not take part in the proceedings.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Jones got the news on a video call with her solicitors and the experts.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
He said he wonders if investors read the full disclosures made by such solicitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Then a new batch of solicitors began begging for admittance.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
