Unsolicited
/ˌʌnsəˈlɪsɪtɪd/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Unsolicited describes something that is not asked for or requested. People often use it to talk about messages, advice, or offers that arrive unexpectedly or without permission. It can sometimes feel unwanted or surprising.
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See It in Action
Something given or sent without being asked for
- •I received an unsolicited email about a job offer.
- •She gave me unsolicited advice about my career.
- •Unsolicited phone calls can be very annoying.
Offers or suggestions made without invitation or request
- •The company sent unsolicited brochures to many people.
- •He made an unsolicited comment during the meeting.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "unsolicited" like "unexpected," but with the idea that nobody asked for it.
- ✓Picture receiving a letter or email from someone you don’t know, without asking them to send it.
- ✓It’s the feeling when someone gives advice you didn’t want or need.
- ✓Sounds like "un-suh-LIS-i-tid" → Imagine someone LISTing things to you that you didn’t want to hear.
- ✓Think of a phone call from a company trying to sell something without you asking for it.
- ✓NOT like "requested" (which means you asked for it), "unsolicited" means it comes without your permission or asking.
- ✓NOT like "invited," because invited means you want it or agreed to it.
- ✓NOT like "helpful" necessarily, because unsolicited advice can sometimes be annoying or unwanted.
Try Other Words
- •Unasked: not requested (Use when emphasizing that something was not asked for, often in informal contexts)
- •Uninvited: not invited or welcomed (Use when referring to people or things coming without permission)
- •Unexpected: not expected or planned (Use when focusing on surprise rather than permission)
- •Unrequested: not requested (Very close to unsolicited; can be used interchangeably)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "un-" means "not"
- •Root: "solicit" means "to ask for or request"
- •Suffix: "-ed" turns the word into an adjective describing something that has been done
- •Etymology: From Latin "sollicitare" meaning "to disturb, to urge"
- •Historical development: The word started to be used in English to describe things that come without being asked for, especially in formal or legal contexts
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe emails, advice, offers, or messages received without prior request
Reflect & Connect
•When can unsolicited advice be helpful, and when can it be annoying?
•How do people usually react to unsolicited messages or offers in different cultures?
Fill in the blanks
1.I got an unsolicited email ___ a product I never wanted to buy.
2.Sometimes unsolicited advice can feel ___ because you didn’t ask for it.
3.Unlike requested help, unsolicited help is given without ___.
4.The company sent unsolicited offers ___ many people without their permission.
5.She ignored the unsolicited comments because they were not ___.
6.Unsolicited messages often come with no ___ or warning.
7.If you receive unsolicited calls, you can ___ them or block the number.