solicitation

noun

so·​lic·​i·​ta·​tion sə-ˌli-sə-ˈtā-shən 

plural solicitations

1

formal : the practice or act or an instance of soliciting

email/telephone solicitations

Unauthorized solicitation is prohibited.

sometimes : an urgent or persistent request : entreaty, importunity

I laid the matter before him, but he was disinclined to attempt the unfamiliar task. The editors, however, renewed their solicitations.

—Adam Badeau †1895

2

formal : a quality or force that moves or draws : incitement, allurement

… a vigilance against the solicitations of dejection and despair.

—newyorker.com

Synonyms of solicitation

• plea
• appeal
• prayer
• petition

Examples of solicitation in a Sentence

the mail is always full of solicitations from worthy causes

Recent Examples on the Web

The solicitation frames the campaign as an effort to push back on what Newsom has often described as misleading narratives about California. —Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

This material should not be construed as a recommendation, or advice or an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any investment. —Katie Stockton, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026

Some Lakes residents are appalled by her solicitation. —Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026

The solicitation of complaints by the board’s executive director, Michael Cavin, resulted in complaints of unethical conduct filed against Mejia and Smith by their employers. —Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for solicitation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Legal Definition

solicitation

noun

so·​lic·​i·​ta·​tion sə-ˌli-sə-ˈtā-shən 

: an act or practice or an instance of soliciting

solicitation of a proxy for a shareholder vote

specifically : the crime of soliciting someone to commit a crime (as murder)