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
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something that is sought by request or entreaty.
to receive one's full petition.
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Law. an application for a court order or for some judicial action.
verb (used with object)
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petitions,
present (3rd person singular)
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petitioned,
past participle, past
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petitioning
present participle
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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
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(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
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counterpetitionnoun
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petitionernoun
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petitionistnoun
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prepetitionnoun
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re-petitionverb (used with object)
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petitionableadjective
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petitionaryadjective
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unpetitionedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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petitionsimple
-
petitionssimple
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have petitionedperfect
-
has petitionedperfect
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am petitioningprogressive
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are petitioningprogressive
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is petitioningprogressive
-
have been petitioningperfect progressive
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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
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Election Lingo
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Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
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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 National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit corporation that is challenging the ballroom project, told the Supreme Court that the administration’s petition amounts to an attempt to “outrun judicial review.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The ban has faced a backlash from locals and an online petition has been launched to block the resolution.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"We are aware of the winding-up petition in relation to COH Sports Bidco," the IFR said in a statement on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
There was no immediate information about the details of Khan's health concerns included in his lawyers' petition.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
An Osage delegation, including the chief Wah-Ti-An-Kah, was urgently dispatched to Washington, D.C., to petition the commissioner of Indian Affairs to abolish the ration system.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
In a statement to the BBC, May's office said that "she has an obligation to sponsor petitions brought forward by citizens, regardless of whether she personally agrees with what the petition is asking for".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
She said 700,000 Albertans—out of about five million—have signed petitions either for leaving or staying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
In an interview, Nunley said he and other judges were “up all night” ruling on emergency petitions and ensuring those orders were followed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
I think there have been upward of 1,200 petitions filed in this district alone, which is an exponential rise.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
In 1836, near the end of Jackson’s second term, Congress adopted a gag rule that banned any discussion of petitions or legislation related to slavery.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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
California Attorney General Rob Bonta had petitioned for an April 2027 start.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Without telling me, my brother petitioned for sole guardianship of our mother.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
In 2001, food-freedom advocates, including Stewart, successfully petitioned the county to weaken regulations, providing McAfee access to a new pool of customers.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
She’d petitioned the DA to drop the obstruction charge.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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
But when Hopkins began petitioning Amazon to stop selling any other titles that contain the word, she crossed a line.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Constellation is petitioning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to bypass that delay.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
“They’re talking about petitioning the governor and demonstrating over in Annapolis,” she said.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Definitions 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.
