solicitor

noun so·lic·i·tor \ sə-ˈli-sə-tər , -ˈli-stər \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Definition of solicitor

1 : one that solicits; especially : an agent that solicits contributions (as to a charity)

2 : a British lawyer who advises clients, represents them in the lower courts, and prepares cases for barristers to try in higher courts

3 : the chief law officer of a municipality, county, or government department

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solicitorship

play \sə-ˈli-sə-tər-ˌship, -ˈli-stər-\ noun

See solicitor defined for English-language learners

See solicitor defined for kids

Examples of solicitor in a Sentence

Solicitors will be arrested for trespassing.
money, that great solicitor that has often succeeded in persuading people to sell their very souls

Recent Examples of solicitor from the Web

Blocking numbers on your cell won’t silence solicitors either.

— sara clemence, WSJ, "4 Smartphone Apps That Aggressively Block Spam Calls," 5 July 2018
Officers located the solicitors, who did not have a village of Northfield permit.

— brian cox, chicagotribune.com, "Police blotter: Northfield complaints find solicitors without permits," 5 July 2018
For example, paid solicitors allegedly claimed the initiative was supported by the city attorney and mayor, who are required by law to remain impartial.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mansion owner taking sand squabble to ballot box," 4 July 2018
The review shall be conducted under supervision of the city solicitor, or by a special counsel.

— jennifer fenn lefferts, BostonGlobe.com, "Framingham seeks volunteers for mayoral by-law panel," 16 May 2018
The court declared an Ohio town’s ordinance requiring a permit for door-to-door solicitors — including religious groups — to be unconstitutional.

— hillary davis, latimes.com, "Fountain Valley moves to shrink large campaign signs," 21 June 2018
Many times, door-to-door solicitors ask to see a resident’s Duke bill on the pretext of confirming their current rate, then obtain pertinent information from the bill and switch the account without the resident’s consent or knowledge.

— nancy daly, Cincinnati.com, "Green Township warns about energy scammers," 8 June 2018
In the middle is former Allentown city solicitor Susan Wild (who’s backed by EMILY’s List).

— chuck todd, NBC News, "In Florida Senate race, Dems face down a daunting price tag," 15 May 2018
Women make up more than half of the solicitors at law firms in Britain, but only 28 percent of the partners, according to Britain’s Law Society.

— New York Times, "The Gender Pay Gap: Trying to Narrow It," 13 May 2018

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

First Known Use of solicitor

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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solicitor Synonyms

Synonyms

baiter, seducer, tempter;

tantalizer;

briber, inducer, inveigler, persuader;

corrupter (also corruptor), debaser, debaucher, degrader, perverter, undoer;

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

SOLICITOR Defined for English Language Learners

solicitor

noun

Definition of solicitor for English Language Learners

: a person whose job involves talking to many people and trying to persuade them to buy things, donate money, etc.
: a lawyer in Britain who assists people in legal matters and who can represent people in lower courts of law
: a chief law officer of a city, town, or government department