Meaning & use
solicitation
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountableformalbusiness
The act of asking people for money, business, votes, or support.
Grammar: Often uncountable for the activity: No solicitation after dark; a countable use names one instance.
Patterns
- no solicitation
- solicitation of donations
- business solicitation
A sign by the door said no solicitation after nine.
The charity reported increased solicitation of monthly donors.
Her job involved polite solicitation of new clients.
nouncountable or uncountablelegallaw
In law, the offense of asking or encouraging someone to commit a crime.
Grammar: Legal use is serious and narrower; it concerns urging wrongdoing, not merely requesting help.
Patterns
- solicitation to commit fraud
- solicitation of a minor
- charge someone with solicitation
He was charged with solicitation to commit insurance fraud.
The statute defines solicitation as urging another person to break the law.
Police investigated online solicitation of a minor.
Word forms
| plural | solicitations |
|---|
Common combinations
- no solicitation
- The building posts a clear no solicitation sign at the entrance.
- solicitation of donations
- The email explained the rules for solicitation of donations.
- business solicitation
- A cold call can count as business solicitation under local rules.
- solicitation to commit a crime
- The case turned on whether messages amounted to solicitation to commit a crime.
Synonyms and how they differ
- request
- Neutral and general; solicitation is more formal and often repeated or organized.
- appeal
- Asks for help, money, or sympathy with a persuasive tone; less tied to business contact.
- canvassing
- Going person-to-person for votes, sales, or opinions; solicitation can be broader than face-to-face contact.
- inducement
- Legal or formal persuasion toward an action; it does not always mean asking for something.
Word family
- solicit verb
- To ask for or try to obtain: solicit feedback; solicit donations.
- solicitor noun
- In British English, a lawyer; in the US, one who seeks business or contributions.
- unsolicited adjective
- Not asked for: unsolicited advice; unsolicited emails.
Commonly confused: solicitation or elicitation?
solicitation vs elicitation
Elicitation draws out information or a response; solicitation is asking for support or, in law, urging an offense.
Practice
In a legal report, which phrase uses the word precisely?
Choose one answer.
The legal sense means urging someone to commit a crime, so pairing it with 'commit arson' is precise. Donations fit the general sense, while a view and dessert make grammatical but meaningless collocations.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “solicitation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.