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
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
Her 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
2
: an earnest request : entreaty
… he begged to sleep with Hareton, and his petition was granted for once.—Emily Brontë
3
: something asked or requested
petitioned; petitioning
pə-ˈti-sh(ə-)niŋ
; 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
… 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
2
intransitive
: to make a request
She neither petitioned for her right nor claimed it.—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
Cite this Entry
“Petition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petition. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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