Petitioners and Abhorxers
Preserved but no longer current.
Two political parties in the reign of Charles II. The former were those members of the Opposition or "Country" party who, in 1679, presented petitions to the King asking him to summon a Parliament in 1680. Their opponents pre- sented counter-petitions expressing their ab- horrence of the attempt to encroach on the royal prerogative, and were thus called Ab- horrers.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Petitioners and Abhorxers” mean?
Two political parties in the reign of Charles II. The former were those members of the Opposition or "Country" party who, in 1679, presented petitions to the King asking him to summon a Parliament in 1680. Their opponents pre- sented counter-petitions expressing their ab- horrence of the attempt to encroach on the royal prerogative, and were thus called Ab- horrers.
Is “Petitioners and Abhorxers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.