petitioners

IPA/pəˈtɪʃ.ən.ər/
KK[pətˈɪʃənɚz]IPA/pəˈtɪʃ.ən.ɚ/

petitioners — noun

  • petitionerssingular
  • petitionersingular
  • petitionersesplural

1. people who sign a petition, or help organize one, to ask an authority to take ac

1.名詞B2
釋義

people who sign a petition, or help organize one, to ask an authority to take action.

例句

More than six hundred petitioners asked city hall to keep the night market open.

petitioners asked [authority] to...

The petitioners left boxes of signed forms outside the school office.

petitioners + signed forms

同義詞
  • signatories

    more formal and focused on the people whose names appear on a document

  • supporters

    broader; supporters may agree with a cause without signing a petition

  • campaigners

    more active and organized; not every petitioner helps run the campaign

文法句型

petitioners against [plan/policy]

petitioners for [change/cause]

online petitioners

用法筆記

Common in news or campaign language about people who sign or help organize a public request. Distinguish from sense 2: these petitioners try to influence an authority through signatures or public support, not by filing a case in court.

常見錯誤

❌Police moved the petitioners away from the gate after they threw bottles.
✅Police moved the protesters away from the gate after they threw bottles.
💡petitioners ask for change through a petition; people demonstrating in the street are protesters.
❌The petitioners sent the minister a private complaint by email.
✅The campaigners sent the minister a private complaint by email.
💡this sense normally refers to people connected with a petition that collects support or signatures.

2. people who formally ask a court to make an order, give protection, or review an

2.名詞C1
釋義

people who formally ask a court to make an order, give protection, or review an earlier decision in a case.

例句

The petitioners asked the appeals court to review the prison sentence.

petitioners asked the court to...

After the flood, the petitioners sought an emergency order against the factory.

petitioners sought an emergency order

同義詞
  • plaintiffs

    close in civil law, but plaintiffs usually sue for damages or another civil remedy

  • appellants

    narrower; appellants specifically ask a higher court to review an earlier ruling

  • applicants

    broader; applicants can ask any institution for something, not only a court

反義詞
  • respondents

    the party answering the petition in the same case

文法句型

petitioners in [a case/appeal]

petitioners asked the court to...

petitioners and respondents

用法筆記

Used in legal writing for the party asking the court for a particular order or review. Distinguish from sense 1: here the request is part of formal proceedings, and the usual opposite party is the respondent.

常見錯誤

❌The petitioners were charged with robbery in criminal court.
✅The defendants were charged with robbery in criminal court.
💡in criminal cases, the accused are usually called defendants, not petitioners.
❌The petitioners arrested the witness after the hearing.
✅The petitioners asked the court to question the witness again after the hearing.
💡petitioners ask the court for action; they are not police officers.