unsolicited

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "unsolicited" is correct and usable in written English.
It is an adjective meaning "not requested or invited". Example: The customer was surprised to receive an unsolicited offer for a free product trial.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Drawing a clear parallel between Soviet domination of Hungary until 1989 and the behaviour of the European authorities, Orbán said: "We are more than familiar with the character of unsolicited comradely assistance, even if it comes wearing a finely tailored suit and not a uniform with shoulder patches".

The Guardian

Briefly, Macmillan proposed to offer a fixed, low-cost contract to unsolicited first-time writers.

The Guardian - Books

"We do not need the unsolicited assistance of foreigners wanting to guide our hands," Orbán declared in a reference to Brussels' demands for legal and constitutional changes regulating Hungary's central bank, data protection laws, and the retirement age for judges on the supreme court.

The Guardian

Maybe the men – and I'm sorry, but they are all men – sending the notifications of impending unsolicited "anal" bothering don't realise it will actually be me who reads the emails – or maybe they don't care either way.

The Guardian - Music

There are plenty of cases where badly aimed criticism (or unsolicited advice that gets interpreted as criticism) veers into abuse.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Whether it can stay single, however, following last December's unsolicited bids by Frankfurt's Deutsche Börse and Euronext, based in Paris, remains to be seen.

The Economist

They consider the latest offer, though unsolicited, friendly.

The Economist

One unanticipated sequence of events was a hostile bid from Bank of Scotland (BoS) followed by an "unsolicited" bid from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

The Economist

The Can Spam Act made comfortable progress through Congress this week, the first piece of federal legislation to attempt to reduce the amount of unsolicited electronic garbage passing over the internet.

The Economist

Indeed, after it tried to reorganise itself in July, America's AT&T received an unsolicited bid worth $44 billion for its cable division from Comcast, America's third-largest cable-television company.

The Economist

See article.The febrile dealmaking in the drug industry continued as Teva, based in Israel and the world's biggest maker of generic drugs, launched an unsolicited $40 billion takeover of Mylan, an American rival.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing business interactions, use "unsolicited" to clearly convey that a communication or offer was not initiated by the recipient, which can impact its reception.

Common error

Avoid using "unsolicited" when you actually mean "unwanted". "Unsolicited" simply means not requested, while "unwanted" means not desired, regardless of whether it was requested or not.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "unsolicited" primarily functions to modify nouns, indicating that something was not requested or invited. It's used to describe offers, communications, or actions that occur without prior solicitation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "unsolicited" is a versatile adjective that describes something not requested or invited, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. Its use spans various contexts, from "unsolicited" bids in business to "unsolicited" advice in personal interactions. The term is grammatically sound, frequently used in news and formal settings, and carries a neutral tone. While similar to words like "uninvited" or "unasked for", it's crucial to differentiate it from "unwanted". Understanding these nuances ensures precise and effective communication, whether in professional correspondence or everyday conversation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unasked for

Directly implies something given or offered without being requested.

without being asked

Highlights the lack of explicit solicitation.

not requested

Emphasizes the absence of a prior request.

uninvited

Focuses on the lack of invitation rather than the lack of request.

unprompted

Indicates something done without any prompting or encouragement.

unwarranted

Suggests the offering lacks justification or need.

gratuitous

Implies the offering is unnecessary or excessive.

volunteered

Emphasizes the willingness to offer without a prior request.

offered freely

Highlights the voluntary nature of the offering, though it may not be wanted.

forced upon

Implies an imposition or unwelcome offering.

FAQs

How can I use "unsolicited" in a sentence?

You can use "unsolicited" to describe something that was offered or sent without being asked for, such as "unsolicited advice" or "unsolicited emails".

What's the difference between "unsolicited" and "uninvited"?

"Unsolicited" means not requested, while "uninvited" means not having received an invitation. Something can be "uninvited" but not necessarily "unsolicited", and vice versa.

Which is correct, "unsolicited advice" or "unsolicited advices"?

"Unsolicited advice" is correct. "Advice" is an uncountable noun, so it does not have a plural form. You wouldn't say "advices".

What can I say instead of "unsolicited"?

You can use alternatives like "unrequested", "uninvited", or "unasked for" depending on the context.