pe·ti·tion
pə-ˈti-shən 
plural petitions
1
a
: a formal written request made to an authority or organized body (such as a court)
filing a petition for divorce
Her defense lawyer had petitioned the court to videotape Scott's testimony about Hearst before he died, but the petition was denied.—
Robert Lipsyte
Robert Lipsyte
b
: a written request or call for change signed by many people in support of a shared cause or concern
Hundreds of contributors and readers signed a petition circulated by the National Book Critics Circle, urging the Post to save the stand-alone section.—Motoko Rich
Motoko RichHer group put together a petition signed by more than 100,000 consumers demanding that regulators crack down on companies who "robocall" consumers using automated dialers and recorded voices to market scams.—Shawn Zeller
Shawn Zeller2
: an earnest request : entreaty
… he begged to sleep with Hareton, and his petition was granted for once.—Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë3
: something asked or requested
petitioned; petitioning
pə-ˈti-sh(ə-)niŋ
; petitions
; petitions
1
transitive
: to make a request to (someone)
especially
: to make a formal written request to (an authority)
His people petitioned the government for permission to use the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. —Taylor Branch
Taylor Branch … to adopt "red-flag" laws, which allow police officers and family members to petition a court to bar dangerous individuals from possessing guns. —Norman J. Ornstein
Norman J. Ornstein 2
intransitive
: to make a request
She neither petitioned for her right nor claimed it.—George Meredith
George Meredith
especially
: to make a formal written request
A year later he moved to Rome and petitioned to join the Jesuits, who gave him a university education and ordained him in 1586. —Brian Vickers
Brian Vickers Synonyms
Examples of petition in a Sentence
Noun
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.
Verb
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 on the Web
Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024
Any candidate can file a petition for a recount in Indiana, Oregon, and Washington, or a party official can do it on their behalf.
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Jessica Seaman, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024
That is the total number of daily $1 million payouts the super PAC has awarded to petition signees so far, with the latest recipient being a resident of Griffin, Georgia.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for petition 
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Noun
After the petition was filed, Mejia said, prosecutors in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office repeatedly requested the original letter from the brothers’ attorneys.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024
Any candidate can file a petition for a recount in Indiana, Oregon, and Washington, or a party official can do it on their behalf.
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
But Michael Fields, president of Advance Colorado, the conservative group that petitioned the amendment on the ballot, has denied claims that the measure would have led to a voucher program.
—Jessica Seaman, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024
That is the total number of daily $1 million payouts the super PAC has awarded to petition signees so far, with the latest recipient being a resident of Griffin, Georgia.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for petition
Dictionary Entries Near petition
Cite this Entry
“Petition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petition. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
petition
1 of 2 noun
pe·ti·tion
pə-ˈtish-ən
1
: an earnest request : entreaty
2
: a formal written request made to a superior or authority
petition
2 of 2 verb
petitioned; petitioning
-ˈtish-(ə-)niŋ
: to make a request to or for
especially
: to make a formal written request
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