Meaning & use

soliciting

verb·Academic

Last updated

Asking for or trying to obtain something, such as money, business, or support, often in a direct or persistent way.

See it in a sentence

The charity volunteers spent the afternoon soliciting donations outside the grocery store.

It's illegal in many places to go door-to-door soliciting without a permit.

A note on using this word

"Soliciting" can also refer specifically to the illegal act of offering or seeking sex for money; context usually makes the meaning clear.

Words with a similar meaning

requestingcanvassingpetitioning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

Offering or seeking sexual services for payment, especially in a public place (a legal term).

He was arrested for soliciting on a street corner.

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