suitor

noun

suit·​or ˈsü-tər 

1

: one that petitions or entreats

2

: a party to a suit at law

3

: one who courts a woman or seeks to marry her

4

: one who seeks to take over a business

Synonyms of suitor

• boyfriend
• lover
• wooer
• man
• fellow

Examples of suitor in a Sentence

He was her most persistent suitor, and she eventually agreed to marry him.

An unwanted suitor is buying up the company's stock.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 34-year-old still has two years left of team control and is bound to attract suitors this offseason. —Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025

Preliminary bids for Warner Bros Discovery are due November 20, when suitors must submit first-round, non-binding offers, Deadline hears. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox have already been mentioned as potential suitors. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Bank of America’s Hall shared a list of large-cap stocks in the S & P 500 reflecting characteristics that have been attractive to suitors for a potential merger or acquisition. —Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sutour, suytour, follower, petitioner, from Anglo-French siuter, suytour, from Latin secutor follower, from sequi to follow — more at sue

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for suitor

• neuter
• pewter
• router
• scooter
• shooter
• tutor
• commuter
• computer
• polluter
• recruiter
• microcomputer
• minicomputer

Kids Definition

suitor

noun

suit·​or ˈsüt-ər 

1

: one that petitions or pleads

2

: a party to a suit at law

3

: a man who courts a woman or seeks to marry her

Legal Definition

suitor

noun

suit·​or ˈsü-tər 

1

: a party to a suit

2

: one that seeks to take over a business

approved the merger before the suitor obtained a 10% stake

—Wall Street Journal