WordValesolicitor
a lawyer who advises clients and prepares cases
In more detail
1. (noun) a lawyer in Britain who advises clients and represents them in lower courts, or who prepares legal documents
2. (noun) a person who asks for something, especially money or support
Examples
- 1. She hired a solicitor to handle her house purchase.
- 2. The charity sent out solicitors to collect donations from local businesses.
How to use solicitor
In British English, a solicitor is a qualified lawyer who traditionally advises clients and handles legal matters in lower courts, though this distinction from barristers has blurred in recent decades. In American English, 'lawyer' or 'attorney' is standard instead. The second meaning (a person who solicits) is less common today but appears in formal contexts like 'door-to-door solicitor' for fundraising.
Common phrases
- consult a solicitor
- high street solicitor
- solicitor's advice
- solicitor and client
- family solicitor
Synonyms
attorney · lawyer · legal advisor · counsel
Word family
solicit (verb) · solicitation (noun) · solicitor general (noun)
A common mistake
American learners may use 'solicitor' to mean any lawyer, but in US English 'attorney' or 'lawyer' is correct; 'solicitor' there typically refers only to someone who asks for donations or support.
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