Word
solicitation
Phoneticsso·lic·i·ta·tion, stress on the fourth syllable
US/səˌɫɪsɪˈteɪʃən/
UK/səlˌɪsɪtˈeɪʃən/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. the act of asking someone for money, help, or information. In a legal context, it often refers to offering sex for money or asking someone to commit a crime.
n. the act of requesting or entreating for something; in legal contexts, the act of offering services for hire or inciting another to commit a crime.
Examples
“The charity began a solicitation for donations.”
“The office building has a strict policy against the solicitation of employees by outside sales representatives during work hours.”
“The defendant was charged with solicitation after undercover officers recorded him attempting to hire a private investigator to tamper with the witness testimony.”
Examples
simple
“The charity began a solicitation for donations.”
contextual
“The office building has a strict policy against the solicitation of employees by outside sales representatives during work hours.”
complex
“The defendant was charged with solicitation after undercover officers recorded him attempting to hire a private investigator to tamper with the witness testimony.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general activity; countable when referring to specific instances or documents.
Real-World Examples
“Offenders may use a range of more subtle grooming tactics before more obvious forms of online sexual solicitation, such as direct requests for sexual conversations, images or meetings," Logos said.” “The users were, in Discord’s words, engaged in “sextortion, solicitation of minors to perform online sexual acts, self-harm coercion, swatting and conspiring to commit real world acts of violence”.” Etymology
From Middle French sollicitation, from Latin sollicitātiō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/solicitation