petition

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French peticiun, from stem of Latin petitio, petitionem (“a request, solicitation”), from petere (“to require, seek, go forward”).

• IPA^(key): /pəˈtɪʃ.ən/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

petition (plural petitions)

1. A formal, written request made to an official person or organized body, often containing many signatures.
2. 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.

3. (law) A formal written request for judicial action.
4. 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.

petition (third-person singular simple present petitions, present participle petitioning, simple past and past participle petitioned)

1. (transitive) To make a request to, commonly in written form.

   The villagers petitioned the council to demolish the dangerous building.