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to petition

to petition

61 3.5
To make a written request to an official, often signed by many people
  • verb
  • /pəˈtɪʃən/
  • Formal
translation icon : presentar una petición
  • We organized a rally to petition the government for better healthcare access.
  • petition the government
  • petition the court
  • petition the legislature

They started to essentially petition the, the policy makers.

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Examples

  • Her father is petitioning the Vatican for the girl to be made an official saint.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The mother successfully petitioned the court for a reduction of the father's visitation rights.

    Academic text (1992)
  • We must petition the Lords.

  • I will petition them, and you will have the same rights as any other defendant.

  • A consumer, however, may petition the commissioner to review the continued use of any rate.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The law allowed parties to petition for legal status for the first time since 1957.

    Academic text (1994)
  • On another day he would say: "We have petitioned the Minister of Justice."

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He's going to trial this week, you know, so they had to petition the court for some sort of approval.

  • The clubs had previously petitioned the NAACP for legal assistance but were rebuffed.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Fearing eventual displacement, they petitioned the government to reserve part of the island for them.

    Academic text (1995)

Synonyms

to ask
vsto petition
1.0

To request that someone do something or meet a requirement

is a formal written request usually signed by many people
to beg
vsto petition
417 1.0

Ask someone very seriously and urgently for something

is a formal written request usually signed by many people
to press
vsto petition
285 3.9

Ask someone firmly and repeatedly to do something

is a formal written request usually signed by many people
to entreat
vsto petition
  • Formal
12 8.1

Ask someone in a serious, emotional way to do something

is a formal written request usually signed by many people

How Formal

to petition
  • Formal
61 3.5
to appeal
  • Formal
159 5.1
to request
1.0
to ask
1.0

Surface Forms

petition infinitive
petitioned past
petitioned past participle
petitioning present participle
petitions third person singular

Etymology

Petition comes from the Latin root petere, which means 'to seek' or 'to ask'. So to petition an authority is to formally 'seek' their decision or action, and you can see the same root in compete, which also carries the idea of 'seeking'.