solicitation

noun

so·​lic·​i·​ta·​tion sə-ˌli-sə-ˈtā-shən 

plural solicitations

1

formal : the practice or act or an instance of soliciting

email/telephone solicitations

Unauthorized solicitation is prohibited.

sometimes : an urgent or persistent request : entreaty, importunity

I laid the matter before him, but he was disinclined to attempt the unfamiliar task. The editors, however, renewed their solicitations.

—Adam Badeau †1895

2

formal : a quality or force that moves or draws : incitement, allurement

… a vigilance against the solicitations of dejection and despair.

—newyorker.com

Synonyms of solicitation

• plea
• appeal
• prayer
• petition

Examples of solicitation in a Sentence

the mail is always full of solicitations from worthy causes

Recent Examples on the Web

Some Lakes residents are appalled by her solicitation. —Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026

The solicitation of complaints by the board’s executive director, Michael Cavin, resulted in complaints of unethical conduct filed against Mejia and Smith by their employers. —Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 27 Feb. 2026

All of those gifts were received prior to Epstein’s guilty plea in Florida in 2008 to charges of solicitation of prostitution with a minor, according to the university’s review of its Epstein connections. —Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026

Of the 40 members of Texas’ Congressional delegation, just three– all Republicans– have publicly weighed in on Gonzales’ solicitation of a staffer. —Bayliss Wagner, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for solicitation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Legal Definition

solicitation

noun

so·​lic·​i·​ta·​tion sə-ˌli-sə-ˈtā-shən 

: an act or practice or an instance of soliciting

solicitation of a proxy for a shareholder vote

specifically : the crime of soliciting someone to commit a crime (as murder)