petition
Americannoun
-
petitions
plural
-
a formally drawn request, often bearing the names of a number of those making the request, that is addressed to a person or group of persons in authority or power, soliciting some favor, right, mercy, or other benefit.
a petition for clemency; a petition for the repeal of an unfair law.
- Synonyms:
- suit
-
a request made for something desired, especially a respectful or humble request, as to a superior or to one of those in authority; a supplication or prayer.
a petition for aid; a petition to God for courage and strength.
- Synonyms:
- appeal, solicitation, entreaty
-
something that is sought by request or entreaty.
to receive one's full petition.
-
Law. an application for a court order or for some judicial action.
verb (used with object)
-
petitions,
present (3rd person singular)
-
petitioned,
past participle, past
-
petitioning
present participle
-
to beg for or request (something).
-
to address a formal petition to (a sovereign, a legislative body, etc.).
He received everything for which he had petitioned the king.
-
to ask by petition for (something).
noun
-
a written document signed by a large number of people demanding some form of action from a government or other authority
-
any formal request to a higher authority or deity; entreaty
-
law a formal application in writing made to a court asking for some specific judicial action
a petition for divorce
-
the action of petitioning
verb
-
(tr) to address or present a petition to (a person in authority, government, etc)
to petition Parliament
-
to seek by petition
to petition for a change in the law
Synonym Usage
See appeal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
counterpetitionnoun
-
petitionernoun
-
petitionistnoun
-
prepetitionnoun
-
re-petitionverb (used with object)
-
petitionableadjective
-
petitionaryadjective
-
unpetitionedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
petitionsimple
-
petitionssimple
-
have petitionedperfect
-
has petitionedperfect
-
am petitioningprogressive
-
are petitioningprogressive
-
is petitioningprogressive
-
have been petitioningperfect progressive
-
has been petitioningperfect progressive
Past
-
petitionedsimple
-
had petitionedperfect
-
was petitioningprogressive
-
were petitioningprogressive
-
had been petitioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of petition
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English peticioun, from Middle French peticion, from Latin petītiōn-, stem of petītiō “an attack, request,” from petīt(us) “assaulted, sought” (past participle of petere “to assault, head for, seek”) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If you're angry about the new rule that you have to wear bright pink shoes to work every day, why not write up a petition, get all your co-workers to sign it, and submit it to your boss? Petition comes from the Anglo-Norman word peticiun, meaning "demand, request," and when you petition someone, you ask them to consider your request. If you write up a statement against the town's approval of a new carnival district and collect signatures from 100 neighbors to turn in to the city government, that's a petition. If you pray to the carnival gods to rain down ruin on the carnival, that's also a petition — and no signatures needed.
Vocabulary lists containing petition
The Bill of Rights
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Election Lingo
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The actor, who runs a caravan park on the Isle of Sheppey with daughter Dani Dyer, delivered the petition having previously joined a local sewage protest in Leysdown in September.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Mikula filed a citizen petition in August 2025 proposing the change and it will appear on ballots statewide this November.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
And a "Stop Smart Glasses" campaign in Britain and Ireland has launched a petition and call for supporters to contact stores to stop their sale.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
On Monday, a judge approved Xu’s petition to have his felony charge dismissed following the completion of his probation earlier this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
In November of 1792, for example, when another Quaker petition came forward under the sponsorship of Fisher Ames, William Loughton Smith referred his colleague to the earlier debate of 1790.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The Lisinski firm typically doesn’t handle removal proceedings, the spokesperson noted, focusing instead on visa petitions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Ahead of the verdict, a total of 13 petitions seeking leniency were said to have been submitted to the court.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The Supreme Court typically receives between 7,000 and 8,000 petitions in a given term, and it grants full review and argument to about 1%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
In recent years, private groups seeking to raise local taxes have used voter-backed initiative petitions to get their measures on the ballot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Her mother arranges for her to be retested privately, petitions the school, and gets her daughter admitted.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Eighteen parishioners successfully petitioned the Duke of Beaufort to remove Byfield from the position.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
For five years, Sister Schubert’s fans asked, begged and eventually petitioned for the return of a frozen food composed of two things: a small smoked sausage and a soft Parker House roll.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
Over the years, Narwat has petitioned chief minister, MPs and district officials, and written to the National Human Rights Commission, seeking improvements to the two Khedi Kalan schools.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Ahead of this month’s trial, Meta petitioned the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to block it on grounds the company was immune from suit under the law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
A group of newspapermen petitioned the stewards to see the films.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
“What, was Leo not available?” she asked, as if petitioning the gods.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
Last month, California Coastkeeper Alliance and other nonprofit groups tried to expand the clean water protections statewide by petitioning six other regional water boards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Cherneff: Almost immediately after emancipation in Maryland, there were reports of parents petitioning for the freedom of their children.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Thanks in part to The Flight's music, the game is so cinematic that fans have been petitioning for voice actor Patrick Gibson to play Bond in the forthcoming, Denis Villeneuve-directed film.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
“They’re talking about petitioning the governor and demonstrating over in Annapolis,” she said.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
