petition

¹pe·ti·tion

noun \pə-ˈti-shən\

Definition of PETITION

1

: an earnest request : entreaty

2

a : a formal written request made to an official person or organized body (as a court) b : a document embodying such a formal written request

3

: something asked or requested

— pe·ti·tion·ary \-ˈti-shə-ˌner-ē\ adjective

Examples of PETITION

1. They collected 2,000 signatures on a petition demanding that women be allowed to join the club.
2. Would you like to sign our petition?
3. We presented a petition to the legislature to change the law.
4. She filed a petition for divorce.
5. We ask you to hear our petition.

Origin of PETITION

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin petition-, petitio, from petere to seek, request — more at feather

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PETITION

Synonyms: adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suit, suppliance, supplication

Related Words: application, requisition; call, claim, demand, insistence

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Rhymes with PETITION

addition, admission, ambition, attrition, audition, beautician, clinician, cognition, coition, commission, condition, contrition, demission, dentition, dismission, Domitian, edition, emission, ethician, fruition, ignition, Kittitian, lenition, logician, magician, Mauritian, monition, mortician, munition, musician, nutrition, omission, optician, partition, patrician, perdition, permission, Phoenician, physician, Politian, position, punition, remission, rendition, sedition, submission, suspicion, tactician, technician, tradition, transition, transmission, tuition, volition