solicitor

American  

[suh-lis-i-ter] / səˈlɪs ɪ tər /

noun

• solicitors
  plural

1. a person who solicits.

2. a person whose business it is to solicit business, trade, etc.

3. an officer having charge of the legal business of a city, town, etc.

4. (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.

   Synonyms:

   counselor, attorney, lawyer

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solicitor British  

/ səˈlɪsɪtə /

noun

1. (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

2. (in the US) an officer responsible for the legal affairs of a town, city, etc

3. a person who solicits

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• solicitorship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• solicitors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of solicitor

1375–1425; late Middle English solicitour < Anglo-French; Middle French soliciteur. See solicit, -or ²

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

solicitor solicitors

However, solicitor Laura Gracie said Simpson was pleading guilty to two amended charges.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Jeffrey Donaldson's solicitor has said he is also to appeal against his convictions.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Conroy and Amber, a solicitor, have a 25-year loan with monthly repayments of £1,500 - roughly what they were paying in rent.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Once you have a solicitor, there are a few things to think about:

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

This cargo was consigned to a Whitby solicitor, Mr. S. F. Billington, of 7, The Crescent, who this morning went aboard and formally took possession of the goods consigned to him.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

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

A judge told Ben Garvey that he had "let down the whole profession of solicitors"

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Edney conceded there was "no evidence" that the jurors had communicated with anyone else, but said innocent contact - even just seeing the detective or solicitors - could have resulted in "subconscious influence".

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 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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Related Words

• barrister
• counselor

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