petition /pɪˈtɪʃən/ CET6 TEM4 ( petitioning, petitioned, petitions )

• 1. 

  N-COUNT A petition is a document signed by a lot of people that asks a government or other official group to do a particular thing. 请愿书

  例：

  People feel so strongly that we recently presented the government with a petition signed by 4,500 people.

  人们感受如此强烈，以至我们最近向政府提交了一份由4500人签名的请愿书。

• 2. 

  N-COUNT A petition is a formal request made to a court of law for some legal action to be taken. 诉状; (向法院提出的) 申请 [法律]

  例：

  His lawyers filed a petition for all charges to be dropped.

  他的律师们提出申请要求撤销所有指控。

• 3. 

  V-T/V-I If you petition someone in authority, you make a formal request to them. 正式请求 [法律]

  例：

  ...couples petitioning for divorce.

  …申请离婚的几对夫妇。

  例：

  All the attempts to petition Congress had failed.

  所有向国会提出请求的努力都已失败了。