From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsupplicantsup‧pli‧cant /ˈsʌplɪkənt/ (also suppliant) noun [countable] literary RRASK FOR something/ASK somebody TO DO somethingsomeone who asks for something, especially from someone in a position of power or from God
Examples from the Corpus
supplicant• Maximum use might be made by supplicants and petitioners of the distance between them and Rome.• But finally she is apparently moved by the piteous sight of the distressed supplicant and laboriously counts out 995 roubles change.• Whether they came on foot or in polished Ambassadors, the stream of guests sat before Nagji like supplicants.• More than one lord lieutenant told me almost apologetically of the number of supplicants who sought his intervention with the democratically-chosen authorities.• Most newly-appointed Prime Ministers are embarrassed by a plethora of well-qualified supplicants.Origin supplicant (1500-1600) Latin present participle of supplicare “to supplicate”, from supplex; → SUPPLE 