petty definition | Dictionary.com

pet⋅ty

[pet-ee]

–adjective, -ti⋅er, -ti⋅est.

1.	of little or no importance or consequence: petty grievances.

2.	of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor: petty considerations.

3.	having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc.: petty minds.

4.	mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things: a petty person.

5.	showing or caused by meanness of spirit: a petty revenge.

6.	of secondary rank, esp. in relation to others of the same class or kind: petty states; a petty tyrant.

Origin:
1325–75; ME peti(t) small, minor < OF petit < Gallo-Romance *pittīttus, of expressive orig.

Related forms:

pet⋅ti⋅ly, adverb

pet⋅ti⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. nugatory, negligible, inconsiderable, slight. Petty, paltry, trifling, trivial apply to something that is so insignificant as to be almost unworthy of notice. Petty implies contemptible insignificance and littleness, inferiority and small worth: petty quarrels. Paltry is applied to something that is beneath one's notice, even despicable: a paltry amount. Something that is trifling is so unimportant and inconsiderable as to be practically negligible: a trifling error. Something that is trivial is slight, insignificant, and even in incongruous contrast to something that is significant or important: a trivial remark; a trivial task. 3. small. 4. stingy, miserly.

Antonyms:
1. important. 4. generous.

Pet⋅ty

[pet-ee]

–noun

1.	Richard, born 1937, U.S. racing-car driver.

2.	William, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne. Lansdowne, 1st Marquis of.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To petty

pet·it also pet·ty (pět'ē)

adj. Law
Lesser; minor.

[Middle English, from Old French.]

pet·ty (pět'ē)

adj. pet·ti·er, pet·ti·est

Of small importance; trivial: a petty grievance.
Marked by narrowness of mind, ideas, or views.
Marked by meanness or lack of generosity, especially in trifling matters.
Secondary in importance or rank; subordinate. See Synonyms at trivial.
Law Variant of petit.

[Middle English peti, from Old French, variant of petit; see petit.]
pet'ti·ly adv., pet'ti·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Petty

Pet"ty\, a. [Compar. Pettier; superl. Pettiest.] [OE. petit, F. petit; probably of Celtic origin, and akin to E. piece. Cf. Petit.] Little; trifling; inconsiderable; also, inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; a petty prince. --Denham.

Like a petty god I walked about, admired of all. --Milton.

Petty averages. See under Average.

Petty cash, money expended or received in small items or amounts.

Petty officer, a subofficer in the navy, as a gunner, etc., corresponding to a noncommissionned officer in the army.

Note: For petty constable, petty jury, petty larceny, petty treason, See Petit.

Syn: Little; diminutive; inconsiderable; inferior; trifling; trivial; unimportant; frivolous.

Language Translation for : petty

Spanish: insignificante, nimio, de poca monta,

German: geringfügig,

Japanese: つまらない

More Translations »

petty

1393, "small," from O.Fr. petit "small" (see petit). In Eng., not originally disparaging (cf. petty cash, 1834, petty officer, 1577). Meaning "of small importance" is recorded from 1523; that of "small-minded" is from 1581. An old name for "Northern Lights" was petty dancers.

Main Entry: pet·ty
Pronunciation: 'pe-tE
Function: adjective
: relatively minor in degree petty offense punishable by not more than six months in prison> —compare GRAND

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