An example of a petition is someone gathering signatures to submit to voting authorities to put a measure on a ballot.
- a solemn, earnest supplication or request to a superior or deity or to a person or group in authority; prayer or entreaty
- a formal writing or document embodying such a request, addressed to a specific person or group and often signed by a number of petitioners
- something that is asked or entreated: to grant a petition
- Law a written formal request or plea in which specific court action is asked for: a petition for rehearing
Origin of petitionOld French ; from Classical Latin petitio (gen. petitionis) ; from petere, to seek, rush at, fall: see feather
- to address a petition to; ask formally or earnestly
- to ask for; solicit
- A solemn supplication or request, especially to a superior authority; an entreaty.
- A formal written document requesting a right or benefit from a person or group in authority.
- Law a. A formal written application seeking a court's intervention and action on a matter: a petition for review of a previous court's decision.b. A pleading initiating a legal case in some civil courts: a bankruptcy petition.
- Something requested or entreated: granted our petition.
verbpe·ti·tioned, pe·ti·tion·ing, pe·ti·tions
- To address a petition to: petitioned the king for a pardon.
- To ask for by petition; request formally: petitioned that the sentence be reduced.
Origin of petitionMiddle English peticion, from Old French petition, from Latin pet&imacron;ti&omacron;, pet&imacron;ti&omacron;n-, from pet&imacron;tus, past participle of petere, to request; see pet- in Indo-European roots.
(third-person singular simple present petitions, present participle petitioning, simple past and past participle petitioned)
Middle English, from Old French peticiun, from stem of Latin petitio (“a request, solicitation"), from petere (“to require, seek, go forward")
petition - Legal Definition