solicitation

American  

[suh-lis-i-tay-shuhn] / səˌlɪs ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• solicitations
  plural

1. the act of soliciting.

2. entreaty, urging, or importunity; a petition or request.

3. enticement or allurement.

4. Law.

   1. the crime of asking another to commit or to aid in a crime.

   2. the act of a prostitute soliciting in a public place.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsolicitation
  noun
• presolicitation
  noun
• resolicitation
  noun
• supersolicitation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• solicitations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of solicitation

First recorded in 1485–95; from Latin sollicitātiōn-, stem of sollicitātiō, from sollicitāt(us) “agitated, worried” (past participle of sollicitāre “to excite, agitate, worry”; see solicit) + -iō -ion

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Explanation

Solicitation is a request for something, usually money. If you buy a fancy new house, expect a phone call from the local charity with a solicitation for a donation. Solicitation comes from solicit, which means "to request," or "to entreat." So solicitation is the act of requesting. There are three kinds of solicitation. One is asking for money, like when someone goes door-to-door trying to collect money for a cause. In law, solicitation means encouraging someone to commit a crime. Solicitation can also mean making a plea to someone with power to grant a request or favor, like your solicitation to the traffic judge to dismiss your ticket.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

solicitation solicitations

A Vinted spokesperson said the sale or solicitation of stolen goods was "strictly prohibited".

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

The solicitation continues the U.S.’s planned 172-million-barrel contribution to a coordinated 400-million-barrel release by International Energy Agency member countries, with deliveries under the latest awards scheduled for November and December.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

The agency will also issue an open solicitation for Moon Base technology demonstrations and begin pursuing a lunar communication and navigation relay constellation to improve communications between infrastructure on the Moon and Earth.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

“Why?” he asked; himself growing serious at his companion’s solicitation.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

Such statements, Brennan added, were different from “corrupting private agreements and solicitations historically recognized as unprotected by the First Amendment.”

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

"It cannot be stressed enough that peace and quiet is a right, and it is time to stop exposing consumers to unwanted solicitations," consumer advocacy group Que Choisir Ensemble, said in a statement.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The Supreme Court has defined commercial speech as communication of the “terms of an actual or potential transaction” that has an “economic motivation”—for example, credit-card solicitations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025

The solicitations are legal, but have alarmed California state officials — who loathe the idea of investors profiting from a disaster that claimed 18 lives and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2025

This was readily granted, and he was induced, by the solicitations of Fuseli, to accept some of the etchings.

From The Life and Writings of Henry Fuseli, Volume I (of 3) by John Knowles

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Related Words

• application
• bid
• call
• claim
• demand
• overture
• petition
• plea
• proposal
• question
• suit

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