different between beseech vs petition

English

Alternative forms

• beseek

Etymology

From Middle English besechen, bisechen, prefixed form of Old English s??an (“to seek or inquire about”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian besäike (“to visit”), Dutch bezoeken (“to visit, attend, see”), German besuchen (“to visit, attend, see”), Swedish besöka (“to visit, go to see”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: b?-s?ch?, IPA^(key): /b??si?t??/
• Rhymes: -i?t?

Verb

beseech (third-person singular simple present beseeches, present participle beseeching, simple past and past participle beseeched or besought)

1. to beg or implore (a person)
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, London, Oxford University Press, 1973, § 25:

     after what manner, I beseech you, must the mind proceed in this operation?

   • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, ‘Watches of the Night’, Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio 2005, p. 61:

     She besought him, for his Soul's sake to speak the truth.

   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 31

     Panting a little in his haste, he told her how miserable he was; he besought her to have mercy on him; he promised, if she would forgive him, to do everything she wanted.
2. to request or beg for
   • 1990, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (translators), Fyodor Dostoevsky (author), The Brothers Karamazov, San Francisco, North Point Press, ?ISBN, page 657:

     […] the tickets had all been given out, begged, besought long ago.

Related terms

• seek

Translations

Noun

beseech (plural beseeches)

1. (archaic) A request.
   • 1839, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, George Darley, The works of Beaumont and Fletcher: Volume 1:

     Good madam, hear the suit that Edith urges, With such submiss beseeches; [...]

Anagrams

• Beeches, beeches, beseche

English

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French peticiun, from stem of Latin petitio, petitionem (“a request, solicitation”), from petere (“to require, seek, go forward”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??t?.??n/

Noun

petition (plural petitions)

1. A formal, written request made to an official person or organized body, often containing many signatures.
2. A compilation of signatures built in order to exert moral authority in support of a specific cause.

3. (law) A formal written request for judicial action.
4. A prayer; a supplication; an entreaty.

   • A house of prayer and petition for thy people.

Translations

Verb

petition (third-person singular simple present petitions, present participle petitioning, simple past and past participle petitioned)

1. (transitive) To make a request to, commonly in written form.

Translations