Definition of solicitudenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word solicitude distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of solicitude are anxiety, care, concern, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When could anxiety be used to replace solicitude?

Although the words anxiety and solicitude have much in common, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

In what contexts can care take the place of solicitude?

The words care and solicitude can be used in similar contexts, but care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can concern be used instead of solicitude?

The words concern and solicitude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When is it sensible to use worry instead of solicitude?

The meanings of worry and solicitude largely overlap; however, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of solicitude Nature has made this a necessity: Without constant care and solicitude, an infant will die. Roxana Robinson, TIME, 18 July 2024 This idea will add the inducements of philanthropy to those of patriotism, to heighten the solicitude which all considerate and good men must feel for the event. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 30 May 2024 That’s surely what accounts for the solicitude that the cryptocurrency industry has been receiving from Congress. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024 Realistically, however, Mexico faces a tough fight in a Supreme Court that’s shown a great deal of solicitude for the gun industry — even in cases that don’t involve a federal statute that protects gun companies from liability. Ian Millhiser, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 See All Example Sentences for solicitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solicitude
Noun
  • While there have been no reports of illness, authorities urge people to contact a health care provider for any concerns.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
  • Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the HHS, which oversees the FDA, said the studies were pulled over concerns about their conclusions.
    Padmanabhan Ananthan, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • There was no carefulness in it.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 1 May 2026
  • Organizations can benefit by valuing carefulness and concentration not as an obligation, but as a fundamental pillar of success.
    Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • And though Fanny released their albums in a post-Stonewall environment, the band’s gay members felt pressured to remain in the closet for fear of losing their record deal or the support of their fans.
    Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 3 May 2026
  • Lane harrowingly captures the paralyzing fear of being ordinary, while Metcalf will overwhelm you with the sheer emotion of her performance as Willy’s fiercely loyal wife, Linda.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • There is little reason to think that Leon, who has already ruled against the government, will look with particular kindness on this experiment in literary form.
    Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
  • As the intuitive Scorpio Moon harmonizes with expansive Jupiter this morning, kindness and perspective flow naturally, helping conversations feel more open and supportive.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • The next, everyone is discussing climate anxiety among urban houseplants.
    Larry Clifton, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
  • Typically found at gas stations and smoke shops, kratom and its synthetic version, known as 7-Hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH, have been marketed as an over-the-counter aid for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • And on Monday, the ship operator said two crew members — one British, one Dutch — had acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe but both requiring urgent medical care.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026
  • The data tells us that millions of families cannot afford the cost of care.
    Franklyn Baker, Baltimore Sun, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • At the macro scale of society, loss of control seems like a legitimate reason for worry.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
  • Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash.
    Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • In the messages read out in court, the gang leader’s growing unease with the technology is apparent.
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The speed of the map’s passage — and the circumstances surrounding it — have fueled outrage among Democrats and even unease within some Republican circles.
    Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Solicitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solicitude. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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