To ask for or try to obtain something from someone, especially persistently or formally. To approach someone with a request or proposal.
From Latin 'sollicitare' meaning 'to disturb, agitate, or urge', composed of 'sollus' (whole) and 'citare' (to move or call). Originally meant 'to shake or stir up entirely', evolving to mean persistently requesting.
The word 'solicit' carries an inherent sense of persistence - its Latin origins literally meant 'to shake someone completely' until they respond. This explains why solicitation can feel pushy; the word itself encodes the idea of not taking no for an answer easily.
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