solicit

verb

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so·lic·it | \ sə-ˈli-sət

solicited; soliciting; solicits

Definition of solicit

transitive verb

1a : to make petition to : entreat

b : to approach with a request or plea solicited Congress for funding

2 : to urge (something, such as one's cause) strongly

3a : to entice or lure especially into evil

b : to proposition (someone) especially as or in the character of a prostitute

4 : to try to obtain by usually urgent requests or pleas solicited donations

intransitive verb

1 : to make solicitation : importune

2 of a prostitute : to offer to have sexual relations with someone for money

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym What object does solicit take? More Example Sentences Learn More about solicit

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Synonyms for solicit

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for solicit

ask, request, solicit mean to seek to obtain by making one's wants known. ask implies no more than the statement of the desire. ask a favor of a friend request implies greater formality and courtesy. requests the pleasure of your company solicit suggests a calling attention to one's wants or desires by public announcement or advertisement. a letter soliciting information

What object does solicit take?

When used as a transitive verb, solicit can take as an object either the thing being requested or the source from which the thing is requested:

Enterprising capitalists have been soliciting funds on the Internet for years, turning to a passel of sites like Kickstarter to aggregate small commitments from like-minded individuals on behalf of a new idea or worthy cause.
Dave Flessner, The Chattanooga Times Free Press, 5 Nov. 2015

County supervisors and staff spent much of the remainder of the board retreat planning for a series of focus groups that will solicit community input for the strategic plan.
Carmen Forman, The Roanoke Times, 31 Jan. 2016

They could be so nimble because they aggressively solicited a small group of doubters and broadcast their misgivings as if they were based on rigorous and systematic research.
Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century, 2007

They are among the 9,500 volunteers, says the campaign, who have signed up to solicit their friends and families by hosting individual fund-raising Web pages for Obama.
Karen Tumulty, Time, 16 July 2007

Examples of solicit in a Sentence

The center is soliciting donations to help victims of the earthquake. The company is soliciting bids from various firms. The organization is soliciting new memberships. The newspaper's editors want to solicit opinions from readers. The organization is soliciting for donations. Special interest groups are soliciting Congress for funds. The prostitutes were arrested for soliciting customers.

Recent Examples on the Web The budget did call for the state Gaming Commission to solicit interest from prospective bidders and write a report about casino expansion. — Jimmy Vielkind, WSJ, "New York Lawmakers Agree to Legalize Mobile Sports Betting," 8 Apr. 2021 In a matter of hours, Brigham set up a conference call with McCoy and other alumni to update them on the situation and solicit potential solutions and ideas. — Kate Mcgee, San Antonio Express-News, "Colt McCoy joined forces with rich UT-Austin alumni to help pressure university to keep 'The Eyes of Texas,' latest emails show," 5 Apr. 2021 What other owner talks about his weight loss on Twitter and solicit comments on the team's jerseys? — Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, "As Mets' new era begins, owner Steve Cohen welcomes sky-high expectations: 'I can take the heat'," 5 Apr. 2021 Summit is a hybrid organization consisting of a nonprofit side, called Summit Community Foundation, to solicit and disperse donations and a for-profit entity, Summit Community Health, which has investors. — Phil Davis, baltimoresun.com, "Organizers hope to blend charity and profit to sustain a substance abuse treatment center in Southwest Baltimore," 22 Mar. 2021 These instruments solicit feedback related to leadership practices, characteristics, teamwork and general skills. — Jacque Anderson, Star Tribune, "Picking the right assessment tools for your team," 21 Mar. 2021 In both Hartford and New Haven, officials plan to solicit feedback on their plans and engage the community for input on how to use the federal money. — Rebecca Lurye, courant.com, "Hartford, other cities to use federal COVID relief funds for school programs, internet access, recreation and more," 12 Mar. 2021 Public process: The commission must hold at least three public meetings across Ohio to present the map and solicit public input. — Rich Exner, cleveland, "Will Republicans lose their super majorities in Ohio Statehouse? Gerrymandering reform makes that a real possibility," 11 Mar. 2021 Call on people who are not speaking and solicit other perspectives. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, "14 Effective Tactics For Coaches Running Peer-To-Peer Groups," 11 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'solicit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.