suitor

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noun suit·or \ ˈsü-tər \

Definition of suitor

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

See suitor defined for English-language learners

See suitor defined for kids

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 of suitor from the Web

However, last night (August 23), the tables were completely turned as Nev and Max returned to help Jose uncover the real identity of his new internet suitor, Jay.

— brianna wiest, Teen Vogue, "“Catfish” Episode Sees Former Catfisher Becoming the Victim," 24 Aug. 2017
Curran is committed to Minnesota and Bolden has a handful of high-profile suitors.

— logan malloy, Daily Southtown, "Grace Curran, Bri Bolden set to state case again for Lincoln-Way Central," 23 Aug. 2017
Mike Fleiss, the creator of The Bachelor (and, ironically, the producer of two Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes), tweeted a vague-but-pointed message Thursday (August 17) that seems to suggest Kraus isn't our next suitor.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "This Tweet Has Everyone Thinking Peter Kraus Isn't the Next 'Bachelor'," 18 Aug. 2017
Edith’s Heartbreak Express, a thrill ride through the many disappointments, dud suitors, Lady Mary disses, and dismal setbacks the middle Crawley sister experienced over the years?

— julie miller, HWD, "Downton Abbey and Victoria May Be Getting “Mini Theme Parks”," 17 Aug. 2017
But the suitor walked away from takeover talks in April of that year, saying that Premier was demanding too high a price.

— nick turner, Bloomberg.com, "McCormick Buys Reckitt Benckiser Food Unit for $4.2 Billion," 19 July 2017
The founder and CEO of VOR Consulting, Rodriguez was one of four Chicagoans among the 31 suitors vying for Lindsay's attention and roses on Season 13, which still airs on Mondays.

— tracy swartz, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago CEO talks his 'disappointing' portrayal on 'The Bachelorette'," 17 July 2017
Relaxed approach Either way, the two suitors would subject Oncor to different ownership styles depending on who wins.

— sridhar natarajan and katherine chiglinsky, star-telegram, "In bid for Oncor, Warren Buffett must beat out a hedge fund king," 14 July 2017
Then, doors began opening: After the election, Kushner Companies found many more suitors interested in doing business …

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Kushner Sought $500 Million Bailout From Top Qatari Investor: Report," 10 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of suitor

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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suitor Synonyms

Synonyms

gallant, swain, wooer

Related Words

beau, boyfriend, fellow, man, old man, significant other, squeeze [slang]; admirer, crush, steady; beloved, darling, dear, favorite, flame, honey, love, lover, spark, sweet, sweetheart, sweetie, sweetie pie, valentine; date, escort; fiancé, intended

SUITOR Defined for English Language Learners

suitor

play

noun

Definition of suitor for English Language Learners

: a man who wants to marry a particular woman
: a company that wants to take over another company

SUITOR Defined for Kids

suitor

play

noun suit·or \ ˈsü-tər \

Definition of suitor for Students

:a man who tries to get a woman to marry him

Law Dictionary

suitor

play

noun suit·or \ ˈsü-tər \

legal Definition of suitor

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

Learn More about suitor

See words that rhyme with suitor Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for suitor Spanish Central: Translation of suitor Nglish: Translation of suitor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of suitor for Arabic speakers

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SUITOR Defined for English Language Learners

suitor

Definition of suitor for English Language Learners

SUITOR Defined for Kids

suitor

Definition of suitor for Students

Law Dictionary

suitor

legal Definition of suitor

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