solicit

From Middle English soliciten, solliciten, from Old French soliciter, solliciter, from the present active participle of Latin sollicitō (“stir, disturb; look after”), from sollicitus (“agitated, anxious, punctilious”, literally “thoroughly moved”), from sollus (“whole, entire”) + perfect passive participle of cieō (“shake, excite, cite, to put in motion”).

• enPR: sə-lĭs'ĭt
• IPA^(key): /səˈlɪsɪt/

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• Rhymes: -ɪsɪt

solicit (third-person singular simple present solicits, present participle soliciting, simple past and past participle solicited)

1. To persistently endeavour to obtain an object, or bring about an event.

   to solicit alms, or a favour

   Synonyms: supplicate, thig

   • 1717, Alexander Pope, “Eloisa to Abelard”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, OCLC 43265629:

     I view my crime, but kindle at the view, / Repent old pleasures, and solicit new.

     Did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me?

2. To woo; to court.

   Synonyms: address, romance

   • 1960 November, David Morgan, “"Piggyback"—U.S. success story”, in Trains Illustrated, page 683:

     American railroads are not permitted to operate long-haul road routes, but the I.C.C. decision of 1954 did permit them to solicit trailer business in, say, New York for Chicago provided the trailer was piggybacked in between.

3. To persuade or incite one to commit some act, especially illegal or sexual behavior.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     That fruit […] sollicited her longing eye.

   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], OCLC 153628242:

     , Book II, Chapter 1

     Sounds and some tangible qualities fail not to solicit their proper senses, and force an entrance to the mind.

   If you want to lose your virginity, you should try to solicit some fine looking women.

4. To offer to perform sexual activity, especially when for a payment.

   My girlfriend tried to solicit me for sex, but I was tired.

5. To make a petition.

   Synonyms: appeal, request

6. (archaic) To disturb or trouble; to harass.
7. To urge the claims of; to plead; to act as solicitor for or with reference to.

   Synonym: plead

   • 1628, John Ford, The Lover's Melancholy

     Should / My brother henceforth study to forget / The vow that he hath made thee, I would ever / Solicit thy deserts.

8. (obsolete, rare) To disturb; to disquiet.

   Synonym: worry

   • 1611-1615, George Chapman, Iliad, Book XVI

     Hath any ill solicited thine ears?

   • 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 6484883, Act I, page 3:

     2

     But anxious fears solicit my weak breast.

• solicit in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• solicit in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

solicit

1. (archaic) solicitation

• colitis