A petition is a formal written request signed by many people asking those in power to take a specific action or make a change. When neighbors gather signatures on a petition asking the city council to build a new playground, or when students create a petition requesting longer lunch periods, they're using their collective voice to show that many people care about the same issue.

Petitions have been tools of democracy for centuries. In 1776, American colonists petitioned King George III to address their grievances before declaring independence. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects Americans' right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” meaning citizens can formally ask their government to fix problems.

A petition works through numbers: one person asking for change might be ignored, but thousands of signatures demonstrate widespread support and make leaders pay attention. Today, people create petitions both on paper and online, gathering signatures from across the country or around the world.

The word also means to make a formal request, as when someone petitions a court for a hearing. The key idea is always the same: asking those with authority to listen and respond to a serious concern.