plural petitioners
Synonyms of petitionernext
: one who makes, submits, or signs a petition
The lost children had not been found. Public prayers had been offered up for them, and many and many a private prayer that had the petitioner's whole heart in it; but still no good news came from the cave.Mark Twain
The high court held that when a petition charges an official with violating the law, the petitioners must at least have knowledge of facts which indicate an intent to commit an unlawful act.The National Law Journal
The petitioner contended that the taking of the blood sample and the admission of the test results violated his fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination …Raymond P. Ward
… the draft of the proposed petition was read at length: and the petition said, as all petitions DO say, that the petitioners were very humble, and the petitioned very honourable, and the object very virtuous; therefore (said the petition) the bill ought to be passed into a law at once …Charles Dickens
Included in Wednesday's court filing was a petition signed by more than 500 area residents. The petitioners ask that Johnson "be shown mercy and not subjected to a jail term" because he has lost so much due to the conviction.Michael Smith

Examples of petitioner in a Sentence

the lottery winner was beset by a horde of petitioners, all of whom thought that they were most deserving of his charity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Currently, the number petitioners would need to reach is 3,120. Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026 The court also said the petition lacked a detailed factual record showing how each of the petitioners came to receive Code 51. Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 Johnson County District Court Judge Stephanie Goodenow sided with the petitioners in a decision Thursday, saying the city failed to meet its burden to prove the petition was invalid. Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 Until recently in Louisiana’s Western District, petitioners had to formally deliver the lawsuit and summons to government defendants in person and through certified mail. Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for petitioner

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petitioner was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Petitioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petitioner. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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