suitor

noun

suit·​or ˈsü-tər How to pronounce suitor (audio)
Synonyms of suitornext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Birmingham Bowl, in all its college football glory, couldn’t find a second suitor to play in its contest. Noah White, Miami Herald, 14 Dec. 2025 Extravagance and the consequent money troubles force him to rent his estate to an admiral, which brings his family into the society of naval men—including Captain Wentworth, a suitor who Anne was persuaded by her relations to reject eight years ago. Chris Cohen, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025 Both will have similar teams pursuing them, but most of Bellinger's suitors may view him as a backup plan to Tucker. Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 Fluent in the Dominican power bouyon offshoot known as nasty business, Miimii commands the enterprise with sing-speak vocals that operate on a strictly single-entendre basis, dispensing with innuendo to directly address the question on her suitor’s hips. Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for suitor

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

Cite this Entry

“Suitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suitor. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

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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