solicitor

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

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

But Rachel Nordby, the state’s deputy solicitor general, urged the high court to deny Goodman.

— marc freeman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Florida Supreme Court hears polo club founder John Goodman's blood challenge in DUI manslaughter case," 30 Aug. 2017
But the department’s solicitor general said Ohio’s law was valid in a brief filed Aug. 7.

— andy marso, kansascity, "Kander says court cases not enough to protect voting rights under Trump," 26 Aug. 2017
In a Facebook post, Frakes shared photos depicting the Musical.ly exchange between his daughter and the solicitor.

— hannah leone, Aurora Beacon-News, "'They attempted to steal her youth': Stranger allegedly asks Batavia child for topless photos online," 23 Aug. 2017
The new Supreme Court brief in the Ohio case was signed by Jeffrey B. Wall, the acting solicitor general, and John M. Gore, the acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil rights division.

— charlie savage, New York Times, "Justice Dept. Backs Ohio’s Effort to Purge Infrequent Voters From Rolls," 8 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, two former Allentown officials — Finance Director Garret Strathearn and Dale Wiles, an assistant city solicitor — were working to rig the contract bidding process to ensure that Kilkenny and Northeast Revenue emerged the victors.

— jeremy roebuck, Philly.com, "Montco sheriff gets spotlight in Allentown corruption case," 7 Aug. 2017
Telephone solicitors will be calling residents to ask for donations.

— cathy locke, sacbee, "Placer sheriff’s search and rescue teams seek donations, warn of scams," 3 Aug. 2017
It was reported at 7:03 p.m. July 19 that a solicitor got into a verbal argument with residents in the 700 block of East Avenue.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "La Grange police blotter: Two people skinny dip at La Grange Field Club pool," 21 July 2017
Starting in the late 1950s, Mr. Seidel was solicitor for county prothonotary Robert Reithmiller.

— bonnie l. cook, Philly.com, "Raymond M. Seidel, 96, driving force behind online court records in Montco," 14 July 2017

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

solicitor Synonyms

Synonyms

baiter, seducer, tempter

Related Words

beguiler, enchantress, siren, temptress; tantalizer; briber, inducer, inveigler, persuader; corrupter (also corruptor), debaser, debaucher, degrader, depraver, 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