petit
adjective
small; petty; minor.
petit
American
[pet-ee, puh-tee]
/ ˈpɛt i, pəˈti /
adjective
Law.
Petit
1
British
/ pəti /
noun
petit
2
British
/ ˈpɛtɪ /
adjective
Etymology
Origin of petit
1325–75; Middle English < Middle French; see petty
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Pungent dried scallops are in a sweet-and-savory fudge petit four, not a classic soup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025
A steal at $28 for three courses, diners saddle up to the counter, reminiscent of a chef’s table, for a French and Japanese-inspired amuse bouche with a main dessert, followed by petit fours.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2025
Living in Paris for a year certainly had its share of stresses, mostly because my French language skills never really advanced beyond me saying, Je parle français un petit peu, before switching to English.
From Slate ● Jan. 6, 2025
But a petit basset griffon Vendéen took best in show for the first time last year, as did a bloodhound in 2022.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2024
When I went into the sitting room she was already in her chair, her left foot on the footstool, with its petit point cushion, roses in a basket.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
In 2002, Cinespia — an Italian portmanteau for “movie theater” and “cinema spy” — screened Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train” at the cemetery for members of Wyatt’s film club, which he ran with Richard Petit.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Petit said that younger consumers do care about sustainability.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
Haiti's Le Nouvelliste newspaper first reported the death toll, citing Petit.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
He has led major Paris institutions, including the Petit Palais, and the Musee d'Orsay.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
He became my favourite teacher at Petit Seminaire and the reason I studied zoology at the University of Toronto.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
