solicitor

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

Updated on: 15 May 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

—

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

The city will push ferry service as an alternative to the bridge during the state’s environmental review process, said Quincy’s city solicitor, James Timmins.

— jill terreri ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "Quincy residents assail plan to rebuild Long Island Bridge," 9 May 2018
One outlaws ringless delivery calls, which go straight to voicemail; increases fines for offenders; and requires solicitors to display numbers that can actually receive return calls on consumers’ caller IDs.

— ron hurtibise, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Why are we getting more and more robocalls every month?," 4 May 2018
In the space for a purchase order is the name Terry Nestor, deputy city solicitor.

— sharon coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati solicitor hired a locksmith to get into Park Board closet," 2 May 2018
Disturbance, Bellaire Road: On March 11, a resident reported that a solicitor approached her home while her leashed dog was in the yard.

— cheryl higley, cleveland.com, "Residents report damage to cars: Avon Lake Police Blotter," 30 Mar. 2018
Police said solicitors must register and have a village ID issued.

— staff report, chicagotribune.com, "'Ruse entry' burglaries reported in Norridge," 23 Apr. 2018
The hearing on Ordinance 786-18, amending the municipal code on itinerant dealers, peddlers and solicitors, lasted more than an hour.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Standing room-only crowd for Bel Air food truck hearing," 17 Apr. 2018
Millie Graham Wood, a solicitor with Privacy International, a charity, has tried for six months to find out what data Google has collected from her Nest smart thermostat.

— The Economist, "The EU guarantees its citizens’ data rights, in theory," 5 Apr. 2018
Residents started calling in about a solicitor going door to door in the area.

— Houston Chronicle, "Memorial Villages Police Department report," 20 Mar. 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