PETITION • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Petition

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/pətˈɪʃən/ Listen

noun

Petition n.

1.

A prayer; a supplication; an imploration; an entreaty; especially, a request of a solemn or formal kind; a prayer to the Supreme Being, or to a person of superior power, rank, or authority; also, a single clause in such a prayer. "A house of prayer and petition for thy people." "This last petition heard of all her prayer."

2.

A formal written request addressed to an official person, or to an organized body, having power to grant it.

3.

Specifically: (Law), A request to government, in either of its branches, for the granting of a particular grace or right, or for the legislature to take a specific action; in distinction from a memorial, which calls certain facts to mind. The petition may be signed by one or any number of persons.

4.

The written document containing a petition (senses 1 or 2).

Petition of right (Law), a petition to obtain possession or restitution of property, either real or personal, from the Crown, which suggests such a title as controverts the title of the Crown, grounded on facts disclosed in the petition itself.

The Petition of Right (Eng. Hist.), the parliamentary declaration of the rights of the people, assented to by Charles I.

verb

Petition v. t. (past & past part. petitioned; pres. part. petitioning) To make a prayer or request to; to ask from; to solicit; to entreat; especially, to make a formal written supplication, or application to, as to any branch of the government; as, to petition the court; to petition the governor. "You have... petitioned all the gods for my prosperity."

Petition v. i. To make a petition or solicitation.

See images of 'Petition'

Etymology of 'Petition'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Petition" Quotes from Famous Books

... not appear to defend himself, consequently the court indorsed her petition and awarded her ...

— The Masked Bridal • Mrs. Georgie Sheldon

... understand that He prayed that He might not drink the chalice of His passion and death; or that He might not drink it at the hands of the Jews; what He besought was not indeed fulfilled, because His reason which formed the petition did not desire its fulfilment, but for our instruction, it was His will to make known to us His natural will, and the movement of His sensuality, which ...

— Summa Theologica, Part III (Tertia Pars) - From the Complete American Edition • Thomas Aquinas

... else that you have heard, or will hear, laid to my charge. He prepared me, on that fatal night, for his disclosure of my guilt to you. After he had left me, I went out on pretence of walking in the garden where I sometimes walk, but really to follow him and make one last petition that he would not protract the dreadful suspense on which I have been racked by him, you do not know how long, but ...

— Bleak House • Charles Dickens

... the late Attorney General of Leichardt's Land, in whose following he had been while sitting in the Legislative Assembly, and whom he had consulted in reference to the Divorce petition. This gentleman informed Colin that proceedings were already begun in the case of McKeith versus McKeith, and that notification of the pending suit had been sent to Lady Bridget at Castle Gaverick, in the province of ...

— Lady Bridget in the Never-Never Land • Rosa Praed

... When these events were reported back to Kentucky mass meetings were held throughout the State in protest against the Michigan action. The State legislature drew up a resolution calling upon Congress to enact a new fugitive slave law.[336] The Senate referred the petition to the Committee on Judiciary and they later reported a new fugitive slave bill which was read twice and then pigeonholed. The same action was repeated at the ...

— The Journal of Negro History, Volume 3, 1918 • Various

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