suppliant

American  

[suhp-lee-uhnt] / ˈsʌp li ənt /

noun

1. a person who supplicates; petitioner.

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adjective

1. supplicating.

2. expressive of supplication, as words, actions, etc.

suppliant British  

/ ˈsʌplɪənt /

adjective

1. expressing entreaty or supplication

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noun

1. another word for supplicant

Other Word Forms

• suppliance noun
• suppliantly adverb
• suppliantness noun
• unsuppliant adjective

Etymology

Origin of suppliant

1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French, present participle of supplier < Latin supplicāre to beseech, supplicate. See -ant

Example Sentences

And when at last I opened my eyes the silence which had enfolded me had given place to a pervasive murmur, the sound from the suppliant lips and beseeching throats of the multitude.

From Literature

“Your mission will be hard this year,” wrote Anne-Marie, another adult suppliant.

From Washington Times

She was to tell him that violent as Achilles was, he was not really evil, but one who would treat properly a suppliant.

From Literature

A priest flocked by suppliant children entreats Oedipus, renowned for his mental prowess, to find the answer that will rescue the city.

From Los Angeles Times

Shooting it frontally, Greene looked up at the timeworn face from the subordinate vantage point of a suppliant.

From New York Times