English → Latin
“petition” in Latin
prexprayer; request; entreatyrogōto ask, enquire; to request; to beg, solicit, pray to (someone) for (something) (with two accusatives)rogātiōAn inquiry or proposal to the people for passing a law or decree; a proposed law, decree or bill.; A question, interrogasuppliciumkneeling, supplication, a humble entreaty or petition; punishment; sufferinglitteraletter (of the alphabet); handwriting; letter, epistlelibellusthe inner bark of a tree used for writing tablets; a little book, booklet, pamphlet (esp. a book written in pages rathersupplicōto pray or supplicate; to humbly beseech or begsupplexkneeling; begging; suppliant
The English word petition itself goes back to Latin petō, through petitio.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
petition s.
preces (plur., act of asking, or thing asked): rogatus or rogatio (act of asking): supplicium (humble petition, prayer to God; Livy; not Cic., or Caes.): litterae (supplices), libellus (supplex) (a petition drawn up in writing; ☞ Mart., 8, 31, 3): to storm one with petitions, precibus, suppliciis fatigare aliquem: if you grant my petition, *si feceris, quod rogo: to present a petition to anybody, dare alicui libellum (supplicem); supplicare alicui per litteras: to draw up a petition, libellum componere: to sign a petition, libellum subscribere; signare, subnotare libellum (of a minister, etc. who looks over the petitions presented to a prince, and writes his opinion of them on the margin, to which he signs his name; Vid: Suet., Oct., 1; Plin., Ep., 1, 10, 9).
petition v.
To ask, beg, Vid:
To present a written supplication, *petere aliquid per litteras (in order to obtain anything): *litteris deprecari aliquid (in order to evert anything): causam deferre per litteras ad judiceni (accusing before a judge): to petition anybody, libello or scripto adire aliquem: to petition against anything, reclamare alicui rei (to express one’s disapproval of anything): provocare adversus aliquid (to appeal to a higher tribunal against anything; e.g., adversus sententiam, Modestin., Dig., 48, 2, 18; adversus creationem, Papinian., Dig., 26, 7, 39 § 6).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for petition?
- The usual Latin words for “petition” are prex, rogō, rogātiō; also supplicium, littera, libellus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.