Standard Lemma guide

petitioner

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American: /pəˈtɪʃənɚ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AH0 T IH1 SH AH0 N ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Someone who presents a petition to a court.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Someone who presents a petition to some person in authority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

one praying humbly for something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a suppliant for her favors

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: suppliant, supplicant, requester

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: applicant, applier

Narrower terms: besieger, postulant, solicitor, canvasser

4

noun

Meaning 4

someone who petitions a court for redress of a grievance or recovery of a right

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: suer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plaintiff, complainant

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peth2- Proto-Indo-European *péth2eti Latin petō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin petītiōnembor. Old French peticiunbor. Middle English English petition Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English petitioner From petition + -er. Doublet of petitionary.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: খাস্তগীর (khastogir) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Bulgarian: ищец (ištec) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Egyptian: s-p:r-w-spr-A2-A1 (sprw) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Finnish: kantaja — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • French: pétitionnaire — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • German: Petent — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • German: Petentin — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Ancient Greek: ἱκέτης (hikétēs) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Hindi: याचक (yācak) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Hindi: याचिकाकर्ता (yācikākartā) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Hindi: वादी (vādī) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Hindi: आवेदक (āvedak) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Irish: achainíoch — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Italian: istante — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Italian: richiedente — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Northern Kurdish: dawakar — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Northern Kurdish: xwedîdawa — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Māori: kaipetihana — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Māori: kaiinoi — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Middle English: oratour — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Middle English: bedeman — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Portuguese: peticionário — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Portuguese: requerente — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Shor: сурағчы (surağçı) — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Spanish: accionante — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Spanish: peticionario — someone who presents a petition to a court
  • Swedish: kärande — someone who presents a petition to a court
Real reading context

petitioner in complete knowledge articles