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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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 It has also been criticized for making, Carole Baskin, the woman Joe Exotic (aka Joe Maldonado-Passage) solicited to have murdered, the de facto villain of the show. — Leah Carroll, refinery29.com, "During Pandemic Press Briefing, New York Post Reporter Asks Trump If He’ll Pardon Joe Exotic," 9 Apr. 2020 The wall text appears in both English and Spanish, and the Archives had the opportunity to solicit new materials from a younger group of artists. — Lila Thulin, Smithsonian Magazine, "More Than Forty Years Later, Artists Answer a Still-Relevant Question: ‘What Is Feminist Art?’," 6 Mar. 2020 Amazon Studios The revelations surrounding Donald Trump’s telephone conversation with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, are raising serious questions about attempts to solicit outside interference in US domestic affairs. — Catherine Edwards, Quartzy, "Two new political thrillers are tailor-made for our age of paranoia," 27 Nov. 2019 But after receiving stiff criticism for failing to solicit adequate community input before approving a solar power plant last year, Maui Electric has slowed its plans. — Noelle Swan, Scientific American, "Hawaii Wants to Lead the Renewable Revolution," 21 Sep. 2019 In a separate video soliciting Election Day help, Principal Deputy Communications Director Erin Perrine puts out a call for volunteer poll watchers. — Katherine Doyle, Washington Examiner, "Trump campaign team launches political organizing app in play to broaden digital reach," 23 Apr. 2020 Private efforts • Angela Harris, a first-grade teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, has started a Google Form to solicit help, collaborate and link people to resources. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Here a listing of ways you can help others in Wisconsin during the coronavirus outbreak," 14 Mar. 2020 He was charged with obscene communication to a minor via computer, using a computer to solicit a child and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, according to jail records. — al, "Mobile man busted by undercover detective, accused of luring teen for sex in Florida," 6 Mar. 2020 Langston had hosted fundraisers for Joe Biden and solicited the senator’s legislative help. — Daniel Golden, ProPublica, "The Profitable Business of Being Joe Biden’s Brother," 17 Feb. 2020

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.