suitor

noun

suit·​or ˈsü-tər How to pronounce suitor (audio)
1
: one that petitions or entreats
2
: a party to a suit at law
3
: one who courts a woman or seeks to marry her
4
: one who seeks to take over a business

Examples of suitor in a Sentence

He was her most persistent suitor, and she eventually agreed to marry him. An unwanted suitor is buying up the company's stock.
Recent Examples on the Web The large price tag for the app is one of many factors that could limit the number of suitors. Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Single’s Inferno Choi Jong-woo and Shin Seul-ki, Season 2 Pianist Seul-ki had no shortage of suitors on Inferno, from surgeon Dong-woo to veteran Jin-young to, of course, barista Jong-woo. Charlotte Walsh, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024 Jihan had noticed that the act of matrimony transformed many of her friends’ charming suitors into petty tyrants. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Since splitting with the father of her two kids, soccer player Gerard Pique, in June 2022, the Colombiana has been linked with quite a number of eligible suitors. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Direct Line Insurance Group Plc and electronics retailer Currys Plc both rejected bids from overseas buyers this week, while UK warehouse operator Wincanton Plc got an offer from a US logistics provider, kicking off a bidding war with its French suitor. Alexandra Muller, Fortune Europe, 1 Mar. 2024 By the time the Queen music assets came to market in May 2023, interested suitors were likely scrutinizing the catalog’s activity from 2020 to 2022, when the band’s music averaged nearly 1.53 million album consumption units a year. Ed Christman, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2024 Perry reportedly was the standout suitor to move forward with the deal, but the company ultimately decided to drop negotiations last year. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 31 Jan. 2024 On Monday’s premiere, host Jesse Palmer revealed that, with 32 women showing up on night 1, Graziadei, 28, had more suitors than any previous Bachelor. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suitor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sutour, suytour, follower, petitioner, from Anglo-French siuter, suytour, from Latin secutor follower, from sequi to follow — more at sue

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of suitor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near suitor

Cite this Entry

“Suitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suitor. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

suitor

noun
suit·​or ˈsüt-ər How to pronounce suitor (audio)
1
: one that petitions or pleads
2
: a party to a suit at law
3
: a man who courts a woman or seeks to marry her

Legal Definition

suitor

noun
suit·​or ˈsü-tər How to pronounce suitor (audio)
1
: a party to a suit
2
: one that seeks to take over a business
approved the merger before the suitor obtained a 10% stakeWall Street Journal

More from Merriam-Webster on suitor

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