solicit

verb

so·​lic·​it sə-ˈli-sət 

solicited; soliciting; solicits

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

3

a

: 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

Did you know?

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

Synonyms

• canvass
• canvas
• interview
• poll
• survey

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

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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Ellis was one of the 19 co-defendants named in the Georgia case, including Trump, and was originally charged with one count of racketeering and one count of soliciting members of the Georgia Senate to violate their oaths of office by falsely declaring Trump the state’s winner. —Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

Cohen has hired more than a half-dozen lobbying firms and spent millions on sessions with the community to solicit feedback and support from the neighborhoods surrounding Citi Field. —Laura Nahmias, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2023

The charges include violating the state’s racketeering act, soliciting a public officer to violate their oath, conspiring to impersonate a public officer, conspiring to commit forgery in the first degree and conspiring to file false documents. —Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2023

Citing documents related to the case, NBC reports that King has now been charged with eight counts by the U.S. Army, including desertion, assault of his fellow soldiers and soliciting child pornography. —Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023

Marco Ramirez, 21, was arrested Oct. 5 and is charged with being an accomplice to soliciting or recruiting a minor to join or to remain a member of a criminal gang, organization or enterprise. —Ron Wood, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2023

Travis King, the U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea from South Korea earlier this year, has been charged by the Army with several crimes, including desertion, assaulting other soldiers and officers, and soliciting and possessing child pornography, according to documents obtained by CBS News. —Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2023

The agency solicited input from health and security officials, including in the White House, according to a U.S.A.I.D. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. —Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2023

These are individuals or organizations that offer to write or solicit fake reviews for a fee, often using AI tools or networks of fake accounts. —Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 8 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to disturb, promote, from Anglo-French solliciter, from Latin sollicitare to disturb, from sollicitus anxious, from sollus whole (from Oscan; akin to Greek holos whole) + citus, past participle of ciēre to move — more at safe, -kinesis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

solicit

verb

so·​lic·​it sə-ˈlis-ət 

1

: entreat, beg

especially : to approach with a request or appeal

2

: to appeal for

solicited the help of neighbors

3

a

: to lead especially into evil

b

: to approach for sinful purposes

solicitation

-ˌlis-ə-ˈtā-shən

noun

Legal Definition

solicit

transitive verb

so·​lic·​it sə-ˈli-sət 

1

: to make petition to

solicit the court

2

: to ask, induce, advise, or command (a person) to do something and especially to commit a crime compare coerce, importune

3

: to attempt to persuade (a person) to purchase something

4

: to attempt to bring about or obtain by soliciting a person

solicit bribes

intransitive verb

1

: to make solicitation

2

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