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# petition

«petition» in Mova's school dictionary: **a written request, signed by many people, asking someone…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a petition, petitions); verb (petition, petitions, petitioned, petitioning)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A petition is a written request, signed by many people, asking someone in power to do or change something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#m1)

2) To petition someone is to make a formal request to them, often with a petition. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#m2)

3) (law) A formal written request to a court. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#m3)

4) (church) A prayer that asks God for something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In citizenship lessons, pupils learn that a petition is a peaceful way to ask for change, such as a new crossing near school. Online petitions collect signatures. In church, the prayers of petition ask God for help. Phrases: «sign a petition», «start a petition», «petition the council», «a petition for divorce» (law).

### examples

- We started a petition for a new zebra crossing. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x1)
- Over five hundred people signed our petition. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x2)
- The children petitioned the head teacher for a longer break. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x3)
- The petition was handed to the mayor. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x4)
- In church we prayed petitions for the sick. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x5)
- Mum signed an online petition to save the library. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x6)
- The court received a petition from the family. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x7)
- So they sent a petition to Jupiter asking for a king. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/#x8)

### note

Noun and verb; past «petitioned». A petitioner is a person who makes a petition. Maths: count the signatures and compare with a target (e.g. «we need a thousand; we have six hundred, so we need four hundred more»).

### In the corpora

- [When people want something changed, they can protest peacefully, sign a petition, or stop work together in a strike.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/32-bad-news-protests-and-helping-others/4/)
- [Suffragists campaigned for votes for women with petitions, meetings and peaceful marches, and Millicent Fawcett led them in Britain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/history/32-votes-for-women/6/)
- [A debate on a petition does not mean the law changes; it puts the idea in front of MPs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/politics/6-congress-and-parliament-how-a-law-is-made/16/)
- [For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath granted me my petition which I asked of Him;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/1SA.27/)
- [And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not.' And she said unto him: 'Say on.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/1KI.74/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «petition» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/petition/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.