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Definition of petty - 6 dictionary results

pet⋅ty

  [pet-ee]
Use petty in a Sentence
–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.
Cite This Source 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

  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.
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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Word Origin & History

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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

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
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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