suitor

noun

suit·​or ˈsü-tər 

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

Synonyms

• gallant
• swain
• wooer

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

Tran previously ended her engagement to Devin Strader following the conclusion of The Bachelorette and teased a reunion with one of her former suitors, fan-favorite Jonathon Johnson. —Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

The company’s founder, who is no longer with JetBlue himself, has even suggested that Spirit made a mistake not going with its previous suitor — Frontier Airlines. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 29 Oct. 2024

The Gold and the Beautiful: Joan Vassos has her pick of men on The Golden Bachelorette The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette is currently on the air, which sees Vassos, 61, entertaining the attentions of a group of eligible senior suitors. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024

For Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos the revelation that one of her suitors, Guy Gansert, had a protective order filed against him by his ex-wife isn’t completely surprising. —Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

suitor

noun

suit·​or ˈsüt-ər 

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 

1

: a party to a suit

2

: one that seeks to take over a business

approved the merger before the suitor obtained a 10% stake

—Wall Street Journal