Synonyms for petition
- noun
- verb
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Prayer
prayer, appeal, entreaty, call, supplication, invocation, orison
2. Request
Other
suit formal, application, solicitation, address, desire, asking rare
Verb
Definitions
- n. 1
A formal written request made by an individual or a group of people to a sovereign or political authority, often containing many signatures, soliciting some grace, right, mercy, or the redress of some wrong or grievance.
We're looking to get 10,000 people to sign the petition to have the bird colony given legal protection.
- n. 2
A formal written application made to a magistrate or court for an order or a suit for divorce.
- v. 1
To make a petition to (a sovereign or political authority).
The villagers petitioned the council to demolish the dangerous building.
Related words
- Word family
- petitionary petitioner
Forms
- Plural
- petitions → prayers, appeals, entreaties, calls…
- Past participle
- petitioned
e.g. petitioned → supplicated, solicited, asked, sued…
Choose the right word
Pray is now used chiefly of address to the Supreme Being; petition is used of written request to persons in authority; as, to petition the legislature to pass an act, or the governor to pardon an offender.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- appeal The production has visual appeal for the audience.
- prayer Sami set his alarm to wake up for the dawn prayer.
- entreaty She looked at me with a passionate expression of entreaty.
- application Fill in this application form and send it at once.
By length
- 3 letters
- ask1, sue1, beg1
- 4 letters
- call1, suit1, pray1
- 5 letters
- apply2, crave1
- 6 letters
- asking2, appeal2, desire3, prayer1, invoke2, orison
- 7 letters
- address2, request2, solicit3, implore2, beseech2, entreat
- 8 letters
- entreaty3
- 10 letters
- invocation4, supplicate
- 11 letters
- application4, postulation
- 12 letters
- solicitation5, supplication
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (apply2 = 2 syllables).