1. people who make formal written requests to an authority or court
Usage: plural of petitioner
2. people who collect signatures on a petition for a cause or candidate
Usage: political context

Examples

• The petitioners filed their case with the Supreme Court last month.
• Several petitioners gathered outside the courthouse waiting for the hearing.
• The divorce petitioners requested joint custody of their children.
• Environmental petitioners collected over 10,000 signatures to stop the development.
• The petitioners argued that their constitutional rights had been violated.
• Local petitioners stood at the mall entrance asking people to sign their ballot initiative.