petition

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noun pe·ti·tion \ pə-ˈti-shən \

Definition of petition

1 :an earnest request :entreaty

2 a :a formal written request made to an official person or organized body (such as a court)

b :a document embodying such a formal written request

3 :something asked or requested

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petitionary

play \pə-ˈti-shə-ˌner-ē\ adjective

See petition defined for English-language learners

See petition defined for kids

Examples of petition in a Sentence

They collected 2,000 signatures on a petition demanding that women be allowed to join the club.
Would you like to sign our petition?
We presented a petition to the legislature to change the law.
She filed a petition for divorce.
We ask you to hear our petition.

Recent Examples of petition from the Web

The National Center for Police Defense delivered 40,000 petitions to the Justice Department in May, and raised $500,000 for his legal defense.

— tom jackman, Washington Post, "How ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio wound up facing jail time, before Trump pardoned him," 25 Aug. 2017
And there is a following behind me that includes nearly 50,000 people that signed that petition.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Helena police searching for teen runaway missing for 2 days," 25 Aug. 2017
A change.org petition that demands Solis’s release has more than 2,600 signatures.

— kate morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Pregnant woman fears miscarriage in immigration detetion," 25 Aug. 2017
Through the years Williams has pled his innocence up until last week when a petition was shared on social media to grant him a final pardon.

— danielle kwateng-clark, Essence.com, "Marcellus Williams' Life Hangs In Balance With Last Minute Execution Plea," 22 Aug. 2017
A group organizing a No Place For Hate rally and march at noon Sunday at the J.C. Nichols Fountain on the Plaza had a plan to pass out petitions to remove the Confederate memorial and rename the fountain.

— toriano porter, kansascity, "Vandalized Confederate monument in KC will be removed soon, park officials say," 20 Aug. 2017
That petition also would have forced the annexation to Lemont of about half of the Gleneagles land.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Latest round to Palos Park in annexation dispute," 15 Aug. 2017
Mr López is looking for a sympathetic councillor to present the petition on the anniversary of Guevara’s death.

— The Economist, "Challenging the cult of Che Guevara," 20 July 2017
Fundación Bases, a liberal think-tank based in the city, has launched a petition to persuade the city council to remove the monuments.

— The Economist, "Challenging the cult of Che Guevara," 20 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'petition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of petition

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin petition-, petitio, from petere to seek, request — more at feather

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

petition Synonyms

Synonyms

adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suit, suppliance, supplication

Related Words

application, requisition; call, claim, demand, insistence

petition

verb

Definition of petition

petitioned; petitioning play \pə-ˈti-sh(ə-)niŋ\

transitive verb

:to make a request to :solicit

intransitive verb

:to make a request; especially :to make a formal written request

—

petitioner

play \pə-ˈti-sh(ə-)nər\ noun

See petition defined for English-language learners

Examples of petition in a Sentence

The organization petitioned the government to investigate the issue.
All people had the right to petition the king for help.
She petitioned to join their club.

Recent Examples of petition from the Web

Aderhold, the superintendent, petitioned three of New Jersey's high school athletics governing bodies to merge North and South's teams into one viable program.

— jacob bogage, chicagotribune.com, "'The leading edge of a much larger iceberg': New Jersey high school disbands football team," 22 Aug. 2017
Black families who petitioned to be allowed into the city’s white schools were denied.

— joshua adams, Longreads, "What Thomas Jefferson Taught Me About Charlottesville and America," 17 Aug. 2017
In 2015, a group called Flyers Rights petitioned the FAA to place a moratorium on shrinking seat sizes and to create seat size standards.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Judge Orders FAA To Examine Shrinking Airline Seats," 31 July 2017
After the April 13 meeting, Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush said residents and the workers' rights group that had petitioned for the referendum's inclusion on the ballot needed to be patient.

— zak koeske, Daily Southtown, "Calumet City voters, activists frustrated with pace of minimum wage discussion," 31 July 2017
The agreement, entered by U.S. District Judge William H. Steele and signed by Acker, Fickling and Waller, specifies that after five years, the defendents may petition the court for relief from the terms of the decree.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Foley medical company, charged with health violations, to remain shuttered," 6 July 2017
Three months later, Arthur died, and Jim petitioned to be listed as the surviving spouse on his death certificate.

— spenser mestel, Longreads, "After Marriage Equality, to Party, or to Protest?," 27 June 2017
In March, a group of advocacy organizations, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, petitioned the EPA to provide water filters and bottled water to residents throughout East Chicago.

— craig lyons, Post-Tribune, "Officials: No 'system-wide' issues with East Chicago water," 6 June 2017
Having this ability for a grandparent to petition the court and have the court make a judgment based on what's in the best interest of the child is a prudent step,'' France said.

— daniela altimari, courant.com, "Grandparents Visitation Bill Wins House Approval," 5 June 2017

First Known Use of petition

1607

petition Synonyms

Synonyms

appeal (to), beseech, besiege, conjure, entreat, impetrate, implore, importune, beg, plead (to), pray, solicit, supplicate

Related Words

bludge [chiefly Australian & New Zealand], cadge, mooch, sponge; ask, desire, invoke, request, sue; claim, coerce, command, compel, demand, force, insist, require

Near Antonyms

hint, imply, intimate, suggest; appease, conciliate, gratify, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, satisfy; comfort, console, content, quiet

PETITION Defined for English Language Learners

petition

verb

Definition of petition for English Language Learners

: to ask (a person, group, or organization) for something in a formal way

PETITION Defined for Kids

petition

play

noun pe·ti·tion \ pə-ˈti-shən \

Definition of petition for Students

1 :an earnest appeal

2 :a formal written request made to an authority

petition

verb

Definition of petition for Students

petitioned; petitioning

:to make an often formal request to or for

—

petitioner

noun

Law Dictionary

petition

noun pe·ti·tion

legal Definition of petition

1 :a formal written request made to an official person or body (as a court or board)

a petition for equitable relief

the creditor filed a petition for involuntary bankruptcy

2 :a document embodying a formal written request

petition

transitive verb

legal Definition of petition

:to direct a petition to

petition the court

intransitive verb

:to make a petition

petition for relief

—

petitioner

noun

Learn More about petition

See words that rhyme with petition Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for petition Spanish Central: Translation of petition Nglish: Translation of petition for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of petition for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about petition

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petition

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PETITION Defined for English Language Learners

petition

Definition of petition for English Language Learners

PETITION Defined for Kids

petition

Definition of petition for Students

petition

Definition of petition for Students

petitioner

Law Dictionary

petition

legal Definition of petition

petition

legal Definition of petition

petitioner

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