Meaning of petition in English

petitionnoun [ C ] uk /pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ us /pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ Add to word list a documentsigned by a largenumber of peopledemanding or asking for some action from the government or another authority:I signed a petition against the proposedclosure of the localhospital today. law specialized a formalletter to a lawcourtasking for a particularlegalaction:She's filing a petition for divorce.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Making appeals & requests

• adjuration
• appellate
• apply for something
• apply to
• ask a lot
• besiege
• car wash
• cry
• demand
• entreat
• entreaty
• imploringly
• importunately
• importunity
• invite
• invocation
• leech
• push
• scrounge
• ticket

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petitionverb [ I or T ] uk /pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ us /pəˈtɪʃ.ən/ law also specialized to make a formalrequest for something, especially in a lawcourt:They're petitioning for/about betterfacilities for disabledpeople. [ + obj + to infinitive ] I think we should petition the government to increase the grant for the project. She is petitioning for a re-trial.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

(Definition of petition from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

petition | American Dictionary

petitionnoun [ C ] us /pəˈtɪʃ·ən/ Add to word list a documentsigned by a largenumber of peoplerequesting some action from the government or another authority, or law a formalletter to a court of lawrequesting a particularlegalaction:More than 2000 peoplesigned a petition to protect a wildlifearea from development. law She’s filing a petition for divorce.

petition

verb [ I/T ] us /pəˈtɪʃ·ən/ [ T ] They plan to petition the governor to increasefunding for the project.

(Definition of petition from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

petition | Business English

petitionnoun [ C ] uk /pəˈtɪʃən/ us Add to word list POLITICSa documentsigned by a largenumber of peopleasking the government or authorities to do something or not to do something:a petition against/for sth Trade unions have started a petition against the merger. LAWa formalletter to a court of lawasking for a particulardecision:They had filed a petition in federalcourt on behalf of the detainees.

See also

bankruptcy petition petitionverb [ I or T ] uk /pəˈtɪʃən/ us LAWto make a formalrequest for a decision or action, especially from a court of law:He could have petitioned for the appealscourt to consider his request. Th