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 action then jumps back four months to show the events the series portrays as leading up to the murders, beginning with Lizzie’s first meeting with a prospective suitor. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Twenty years later, Elizabeth (Roden) is spending Christmas at Biltmore, this time accompanied by James (Trevena), a suitor her Aunt Maysilee (MacDowell), is keen for her to wed. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026

Ed, Eddie Friedrich Prince Friedrich of Prussia is a well-mannered, thoughtful, and sincere suitor to Eloise Bridgerton in Netflix’s Bridgerton. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026

Newcastle can now extract far more money from any potential suitors and will be more confident of keeping hold of Hall now, though the prospect of the England defender leaving has not been entirely extinguished. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

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