Solicitous describes someone who shows attentive care or protectiveness, being full of concern. The word originates from the Latin 'sollicitus,' meaning anxious.
Solicitous is an adjective that describes someone showing attentive care or concern for others. It stems from the Latin word 'sollicitus,' meaning anxious.
| Word | solicitous |
|---|---|
| Date | December 30, 2016 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | suh-LIS-uh-tus |
| Etymology | If you're solicitous about learning the connections between words, you'll surely want to know about the relationship between solicitous and another word you've probably heard before—solicit. Solicitous doesn't come from solicit, but the two words are related. They both have their roots in the Latin word sollicitus, meaning "anxious." Solicitous itself came directly from this Latin word, whereas solicit made its way to English with a few more steps. From sollicitus came the Latin verb sollicitare, meaning "to disturb, agitate, move, or entreat." Forms of this verb were borrowed into Anglo-French, and then Middle English, and have survived in Modern English as solicit. |
| Examples | Lyle has developed a reputation as one of the best tailors in the area because he is solicitous of his customers and their needs. "Any given meal included a plethora of delectable choices, including barbecued ribs, schnitzel, ice cream and German chocolate cake, served up by solicitous staff." — Erica Rosenberg, The Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2016 |
| Definition | 1 : showing attentive care or protectiveness : manifesting or expressing solicitude 2 : full of concern or fears : apprehensive 3 : meticulously careful 4 : full of desire : eager |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
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