petition
English Edit
Etymology Edit
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French peticiun, from stem of Latin petitio, petitionem (“a request, solicitation”), from petere (“to require, seek, go forward”).
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
petition (plural petitions)
- A formal, written request made to an official person or organized body, often containing many signatures.
- A compilation of signatures built in order to exert moral authority in support of a specific cause.
- We're looking to get 10,000 people to sign the petition to have the bird colony given legal protection.
- (law) A formal written request for judicial action.
- A prayer; a supplication; an entreaty.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Maccabees 7:37:
- A house of prayer and petition for thy people.
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit
formal, written request made to an official person
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compilation of signatures
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legal: formal request for judicial action
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb Edit
petition (third-person singular simple present petitions, present participle petitioning, simple past and past participle petitioned)
- (transitive) To make a request to, commonly in written form.
- The villagers petitioned the council to demolish the dangerous building.
Translations Edit
to make a request
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