Definition of SOLICITUDE

Choose the Right Synonym for solicitude

care, concern, solicitude, anxiety, worry mean a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this. care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension. a face worn by years of care concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection. crimes caused concern in the neighborhood solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another. acted with typical maternal solicitude anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure. plagued by anxiety and self-doubt worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety. financial worries

Examples of solicitude in a Sentence

He expressed solicitude for my health. a growing solicitude over the possible results of the criminal investigation

Recent Examples on the Web In some ways, his circumstances seem even less worthy of judicial solicitude than his predecessors’ were. — The Economist, "Follow the money The Supreme Court wades into the battle over Donald Trump’s finances," 16 Dec. 2019 Frederick’s solicitude for Agatha puts him on a collision course with his dad. — Celia Wren, Washington Post, "Bravo for reviving the play that scandalized Jane Austen’s world," 11 Nov. 2019 Yet there are way too many endearing acts and instances of real solicitude to dismiss him as an irredeemable jerk. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Can Serena Williams Win the U.S. Open?," 14 Aug. 2019 Acosta’s solicitude for those 21 laggards should be weighed against the fact that today’s federal minimum wage is close to a historical nadir for the U.S. — Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, "A strong endorsement of the $15 minimum wage from the Congressional Budget Office," 9 July 2019 Although the number of high-poverty white communities is growing (many are rural; solicitude for these prompted Texas Republicans to support the Ten Percent Plan), poor whites are less likely to live in high-poverty neighborhoods than poor blacks. — Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, "What you should know about race-based affirmative action and diversity in schools," 3 July 2018 And then, my solicitude surprised no one, not me, not him, not our friends and family. — Carolita Johnson, Longreads, "A Woman’s Work: Home Economics," 21 June 2018 Despite Trump’s personal solicitude of Vladimir Putin, his administration’s policies on Russia have been hawkish. — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, "You’re Either With Trump on Trade, or Against Him," 5 Apr. 2018 Moreover, the president’s determination that an exercise of his own power was unconstitutional warrants the court’s solicitude. — Josh Blackman, National Review, "A Ludicrous Ruling That Trump Can’t End DACA," 10 Jan. 2018

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