Solicitation is a request for something, usually money. If you buy a fancy new house, expect a phone call from the local charity with a solicitation for a donation.
Solicitation comes from solicit, which means "to request," or "to entreat." So solicitation is the act of requesting. There are three kinds of solicitation. One is asking for money, as when your solicitation to your parents to buy you a car. The second is when a prostitute solicits potential customers. The last is when you make a plea to someone with power, to grant a request or favor, like your solicitation to the traffic judge to dismiss your ticket.
