Petition meaning

pə-tĭsh'ən
A solemn, earnest supplication or request to a superior or deity or to a person or group in authority; prayer or entreaty.
noun
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A formal written document requesting a right or benefit from a person or group in authority.
noun
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To make a petition.
verb
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A solemn supplication or request, especially to a superior authority; an entreaty.
noun
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3
To make a request, especially formally.

Petitioned for retrial.

verb
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(law) A formal written request for judicial action.
noun
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A prayer; a supplication; an entreaty.
noun
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To address a petition to.

Petitioned the king for a pardon.

verb
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To ask for by petition; request formally.

Petitioned that the sentence be reduced.

verb
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A formal writing or document embodying such a request, addressed to a specific person or group and often signed by a number of petitioners.
noun
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Something that is asked or entreated.

To grant a petition.

noun
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A written formal request or plea in which specific court action is asked for.

A petition for rehearing.

noun
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To address a petition to; ask formally or earnestly.
verb
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To ask for; solicit.
verb
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A formal written request for something to be done or not to be done, delivered to a court or other official body.
noun
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A formal, written request made to an official person or organized body, often containing many signatures.
noun
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A compilation of signatures built in order to exert moral authority in support of a specific cause.
noun
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Something requested or entreated.

Granted our petition.

noun
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To make a request, commonly in written form.
verb
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The definition of a petition is a formal written request to a superior by a number of people for a specific purpose.

An example of a petition is someone gathering signatures to submit to voting authorities to put a measure on a ballot.

noun
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Origin of petition

  • Middle English peticion from Old French petition from Latin petītiō petītiōn- from petītus past participle of petere to request pet- in Indo-European roots
    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
  • Middle English, from Old French peticiun, from stem of Latin petitio (“a request, solicitation"), from petere (“to require, seek, go forward")
    From Wiktionary

Petition Sentence Examples

  • The plea was included in a petition to the first parliament of Charles II.

  • This petition, of course, was rejected.

  • With the royal sanction a petition was addressed to Sixtus IV.

  • No, I can't petition him myself--that would be too bold.

  • "To hand in a letter, a petition, to His Majesty," said Nicholas, with a tremor in his voice.

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Related articles

Words near petition in the Dictionary