Meaning

8 senses

  1. (transitive)To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or bring about an event.

    to solicit alms, or a favour

    anfordern, bedrängen, erbitten

    добива́тьсяdobivátʹsja, домога́тьсяdomogátʹsja

    підбитиpidbyty

  2. (transitive)To woo; to court.

    werben, den Hof machen, umwerben

    уха́живатьuxáživatʹ

  3. (transitive)To persuade or incite one to commit some act, especially illegal or sexual behavior.

    If you want to lose your virginity, you should try to solicit some fine looking women.

    incite, move, or persuade to some act of lawlessness or insubordination

  4. (transitive)To offer to perform sexual activity, especially when for a payment.

    My girlfriend tried to solicit me for sex, but I was tired.

    приставатьpristavatʹ, навязыватьсяnavjazyvatʹsja

    approach with an offer of sexual favors

  5. To make a petition.

    ходатайствоватьxodatajstvovatʹ, обраща́ться с петициейobraščátʹsja

    make a solicitation or petition for something desired

  6. (transitive)To urge the claims of; to plead; to act as solicitor for or with reference to.

  7. (archaic, transitive)To disturb or trouble; to harass.

    belästigen, stören

    досажда́тьdosaždátʹ

  8. (obsolete, rare, transitive)To disturb; to disquiet.

    1611-1615, George Chapman, Iliad, Book XVI Hath any ill solicited thine ears?

Examples

4 sentences

  1. Bids were solicited for the building of the bridge.

    deFür den Bau der Brücke wurden Angebote eingeholt.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · shekitten · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. What is your reason for soliciting a conversation with me?

    deAus welchem Grund ersuchen Sie das Gespräch mit mir?

    CC BY · Tatoeba · Solana · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. He solicited our votes.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CM · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Executive departments and agencies should solicit public input on how we can increase and improve opportunities for public participation in Government.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · Hybrid · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

8 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
to persuade or incite:
Русский
By meaning 6
to persistently endeavor:
to persuade or incite:
to woo; to court:
to offer to perform sexual activity, especially when for a payment:
to make a petition:
(obsolete, rare in English) to disturb or trouble; to harass:
Deutsch
By meaning 4
to persistently endeavor:
to persuade or incite:
to woo; to court:
(obsolete, rare in English) to disturb or trouble; to harass:

Origin

From Middle English soliciten, solliciten, from Old French soliciter, solliciter, borrowed

From Middle English soliciten, solliciten, from Old French soliciter, solliciter, borrowed from Latin sollicitō (“stir, disturb; look after”), from sollicitus (“agitated, anxious, punctilious”, literally “thoroughly moved”), from sollus (“whole, entire”) + perfect passive participle of cieō (“shake, excite, cite, to put in motion”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

solicits, soliciting, solicited, solicited
Base formsolicit · to solicit
3rd person singularsolicits
Present participlesoliciting
Past simplesolicited
Past participlesolicited

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theysolicit
he, she, itsolicits

Past simpleLesson

all personssolicited

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave solicited
he, she, ithas solicited

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill solicit

Synonyms

15 synonyms
addressB1romanceA2appealB2requestB1pleadB2worryA2supplicatethigpetition
Close in meaning
  • make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently:begtap
  • approach with an offer of sexual favors:hookaccost
  • make amorous advances towards:woocourtromance

Word family

11 related words
Relatedsolicitationsolicitorsolicitoussolicitudeunsolicited
Derivednonsolicitnonsolicitednonsolicitingresolicitsoliciteesolicitory

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
soleilsolelysolemnsolemnlysolicitationsolicitorsolidB1
solicit — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto