suppliant
1
9.6
- noun
- /ˈsʌplɪənt/
- Formal
:
súplice
- As a suppliant, she approached the king, seeking justice for her family's plight.
Examples
-
Then, Lord Antony, you come before me as a suppliant.
-
The suppliant must observe certain precautions, however.
Academic text (2000) -
You will therefore assume the position of a suppliant before this throne.
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I enter as a humble suppliant.
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Katisha, behold a suppliant at your feet.
-
"Ardent and intrepid as Caesar in the field," Abbot wrote, "in the tent, Washington is kneeled a humble suppliant to the God of armies."
Academic text (1997) -
For great kings ought not to count it any dishonor to prostrate themselves as suppliants before Christ, the King of Kings, nor ought they to be displeased that they are judged by the Church.
Blog text (13) -
The suppliant knelt before the altar, fervently praying for mercy.
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The village gathered to hear the pleas of a suppliant asking for aid in their time of need.
Synonyms
21
6.1
A person who formally asks a court or official for something
5
8.7
A person who asks or prays for something in a humble way
3
3.5
A person who asks someone for something, often politely
1
3.7
A person who asks another person or group for something
A person who asks humbly for help in prayer
How Earnest
Surface Forms
Morphology
suppliant = supplicate (semi-transparent) = supplic + ant
The noun denotes 'one who supplicates' via the agent/participant-forming suffix '-ant' on the verb 'supplicate', but the derivation is somewhat formal and not fully transparent to learners unfamiliar with the verb.
Etymology
A suppliant comes from the Latin supplicare, 'to kneel' or 'to beg', and it names a person who asks earnestly and humbly. You can see the same root in the word supplicate, which also means 'to beg', so a suppliant is literally someone who begs or prays for help.