unsolicited
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of unsolicited
Explanation
Something unsolicited was not asked for and possibly not wanted. Unsolicited calls and advice come whether we want them or not. One very common use of this word is in discussing "unsolicited advice" or feedback, which definitely has a negative spin. If someone is butting into your business, telling you what you should do, they're giving unsolicited advice. Junk mail is unsolicited. Phone calls trying to sell you something are unsolicited. Unsolicited seems negative, but it can be used positively. If you give compliments that are unsolicited, then you offer them spontaneously and honestly — that's something people like.
Vocabulary lists containing unsolicited
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 7
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Summer of the Mariposas
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One of Us Is Lying
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Intertek, which provides testing, inspection and certification services, said Thursday that EQT submitted an unsolicited proposal for an acquisition, but that its board rejected it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
All the money without the unsolicited advice that bothered Kennedy—the perfect shareholder.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
Back button hijacking is when a website interferes with a browser so the back button no longer takes users to the previous page, instead often keeping them on the site or presenting unsolicited ads.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Moreover, he said, it’s easy for those watching from the sidelines to take potshots and offer unsolicited — and not particularly empathetic — advice.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
Olanna looked at the threadbare cotton boubou plastered with His Excellency’s glowering face and realized that this unsolicited lesson was an apology.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
