solicits

Solicits is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb solicit. It means to ask for or attempt to obtain something from someone, often in a direct, persistent, or formal manner. The sense can cover asking for business, donations, information, or support, and it is common in professional, charitable, and political contexts. For example: “The company solicits new clients,” or “The charity solicits contributions from the public.”

In usage, solicits can describe a range of activities, including business development (soliciting contracts), fundraising (soliciting donations), market research (soliciting feedback), and political campaigning (soliciting votes). The form is used with a singular subject; with plural subjects, the verb becomes solicit (e.g., “The firms solicit bids,” not “solicites”).

Legal and regulatory aspects accompany the term in many jurisdictions. Solicitation can refer to lawful requests for goods or services or, in other contexts, to prohibited or regulated acts. Criminal solicitation involves requesting another person to commit a crime. Charitable and political solicitations are often subject to disclosure, consent, and registration requirements to protect donors and participants and to prevent fraud or coercion.

Etymology goes back to Latin solicitare, through Old French and into English, with the root meaning shifting from arousing or disturbing something to requesting or inviting action.

Notes: Solicits is used with a singular subject; plural subjects take solicit. The term is frequently paired with nouns like “solicitations” or “solicitation” to denote the act or process itself. See also solicitation, soliciting.