Category:Petition

Pe*ti"tion, n. Etym: [f. pétition, l. petitio, fr. petere, petitum, To beg, ask, seek; perh. akin to e. feather, or find.]

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. 1 macc. vii. 37. This last petition heard of all her prayer. Dryden.

2. A formal written request addressed to an official person, or to an Organized body, having power to grant it; specifically (law), a Supplication to government, in either of its branches, for the Granting of a particular grace or right; -- in distinction from a Memorial, which calls certain facts to mind; also, the written Document. 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. Mozley & w. -- the petition of right (eng. Hist.), the parliamentary declaration Of the rights of the people, assented to by charles i.

Petition Pe*ti"tion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Petitioned; p. pr. & vb. n. Petitioning.]

Defn: 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. Shak.

Petition Pe*ti"tion, v. i.

Defn: to make a petition or solicitation.