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  • petit
    petit
    adjective
    small; petty; minor.
  • Petit
    Petit
    noun
    Roland (rɔlɑ̃). 1924–2011, French ballet dancer and choreographer. His innovative ballets include Carmen (1949), Kraanerg (1969), and The Blue Angel (1985); he also choreographed films, such as Anything Goes (1956) and Black Tights (1960)

petit

American  
[pet-ee, puh-tee] / ˈpɛt i, pəˈti /

adjective

Law.
  1. small; petty; minor.


Petit 1 British  
/ pəti /

noun

  1. Roland (rɔlɑ̃). 1924–2011, French ballet dancer and choreographer. His innovative ballets include Carmen (1949), Kraanerg (1969), and The Blue Angel (1985); he also choreographed films, such as Anything Goes (1956) and Black Tights (1960)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

petit 2 British  
/ ˈpɛtɪ /

adjective

  1. (prenominal) law of little or lesser importance; small

    petit jury

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Petit said that younger consumers do care about sustainability.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

There was this scene with Frenchie and Petit Hughie.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Haiti's Le Nouvelliste newspaper first reported the death toll, citing Petit.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Separately, Annick Lemoine, who heads the Petit Palais, will take over as director of the Musee d'Orsay, according to the official journal published on Wednesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

But I was the first and the most enduring of the Greeks at Petit Semi­naire.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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