What does unsolicited mean?
Unsolicited describes something offered or communicated without a request or invitation. It is commonly used for advice, comments, applications, messages, and attention that the recipient did not seek, often carrying the implication that the contribution is unwelcome or exceeds someone’s remit. The adjective is neutral in legal or administrative contexts, as in “unsolicited submissions,” but usually mildly negative in ordinary conversation, especially when referring to calls, emails, or opinions. It can also mean not expected, as in “unsolicited praise,” although that use may be approving or ironic depending on context. Unsolicited contrasts with solicited, invited, requested, and expected. The word is especially common in professional, editorial, and digital settings, where it helps distinguish a communication arising independently of another person’s wishes from one sent in response to an explicit request or invitation.
adjectiveNot requested, invited, or expected; unasked-for.
- Not requested, invited, or expected; unasked-for.
"The editor rejected the unsolicited manuscript without comment."
"The publisher returned several unsolicited submissions without reading them."
"She was surprised by the unsolicited offer of help."
Unsolicited literally means “not solicited”: it began as a formal description of an unasked request and now labels everything from unwanted email to uninvited opinions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of unsolicited
Unsolicited was formed in English from the prefix un- and solicited. The latter comes through Middle English from Latin sollicitare, meaning “to urge, entreat, or worry about,” and in earlier usage meant asked for, importuned, or urgently requested. Over time, solicited developed the broader sense of requested or invited, so unsolicited came to mean not asked for or not invited. The word is also related to English cognates such as solicit, solicitation, and solicitor.
Related word forms
How unsolicited is actually used
The adjective is common in formal, professional, editorial, and digital contexts. It is usually neutral when identifying a category, such as “unsolicited bids,” but often mildly negative when suggesting that attention or communication was unwanted.
Easily confused with unsolicited
Uninvited primarily means not having been invited, whereas unsolicited often emphasizes that something was offered or communicated without a request and may imply that it was unwelcome.