Definition of SOLICITOUS

Did You Know?

If you're solicitous about learning the connections between words, you'll surely want to know about the relationship between "solicitous" and another word you've probably heard before-"solicit." "Solicitous" doesn't come from "solicit," but the two words are related. They both have their roots in the Latin word sollicitus, meaning "anxious." "Solicitous" itself came directly from this Latin word, whereas "solicit" made its way to English with a few more steps. From "sollicitus" came the Latin verb sollicitare, meaning "to disturb, agitate, move, or entreat." Forms of this verb were borrowed into Anglo-French, and then Middle English, and have survived in Modern English as "solicit."

Examples of solicitous in a Sentence

I appreciated his solicitous inquiry about my health. He had always been solicitous for the welfare of his family.

Recent Examples on the Web Most intelligence officials and FISC judges would tell you that the FISA system is a worthy innovation that has encouraged executive intelligence officials to be more solicitous of American privacy rights. — Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, "Ball of Collusion and FISA Reform," 14 Dec. 2019 Mr Moon plays the solicitous suitor to Mr Kim, but gets nothing but abuse in return. — The Economist, "Beware North Korea’s petulance and propaganda," 24 Oct. 2019 China, on the other hand, tends to be a much more hands-off trading partner, and long-standing concerns about food security mean Beijing has been unusually solicitous of Brazil’s approval. — David Fickling | Bloomberg, Washington Post, "Trump’s Trade War Could be Fueling Amazon Fires," 26 Aug. 2019 Avoid misunderstandings by remaining sensitive to someone else's needs without being overly solicitous and anxious. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, "Horoscope for Sept. 7, 2019: Happy birthday Evan Rachel Wood; Virgo, use your energy and take the lead," 7 Sep. 2019 Service is hit or miss, flaky at the bar during one visit, solicitous and thorough during a follow-up meal in the dining room. — Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Inconsistent food and service make for a frustrating dining experience at Inner Harbor’s Blackwall Hitch," 15 Aug. 2019 Throughout Trump's presidency, critics have accused him of being too solicitous of Putin, and said the president appears to be grateful for Russia's election assistance. — David Jackson, USA TODAY, "At G20, Donald Trump tells Vladimir Putin, playfully: 'Don't meddle in the election'," 28 June 2019 Some Republican politicians in Tennessee, a state known for its tough anti-union policies, felt that VW had been too solicitous of the workers. — Chris Isidore, CNN, "Volkswagen employees in Tennessee could help determine the future of the United Auto Workers," 9 June 2019 Set to three movements of Tchaikovsky’s Third Symphony, its focal point is a magisterial, central ballerina paired with a solicitous partner. — Robert Greskovic, WSJ, "Personnel Changes and Premieres," 9 Oct. 2018

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

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Last Updated

27 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Solicitous.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solicitous. Accessed 17 January 2020.