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Definition of petty - 7 dictionary results

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.


pet⋅ti⋅ly, adverb
pet⋅ti⋅ness, noun


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.


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

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

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

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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