petite
Americanadjective
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relating to or being a woman who is short and has a small, trim figure; diminutive: The sash accentuates her petite waist.
She is a petite brunette.
The sash accentuates her petite waist.
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I usually buy frozen petite peas.
Traveling by air with your petite pooch or kitty has never been easier!
noun
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a category of clothing sized for women or girls of less than average height.
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a garment in such a size.
The petites are on that rack.
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a woman or girl who wears clothing of such a size.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of petite
First recorded in 1760–70; from French; feminine of petit
Explanation
If something is petite, it's tiny. Your mom might be so petite that she needs to sit on a telephone book when she drives the car. The adjective petite is used to describe a small woman. When you call someone petite, it's usually meant as a compliment — implying that she is dainty and adorable. Many clothing stores offer petite sizes for women who are short. The word petite is the feminine form of little in French, and sometime in the 1700s it became used frequently in English literature to describe those who are small in stature.
Vocabulary lists containing petite
It's the Little Things: Synonyms for "Small"
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The Help
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Warriors Don't Cry (Abridged)
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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.
At Petite Feet, a private day nursery in Newtownabbey, Country Antrim, tablets and TVs are not part of the daily agenda.
From BBC • May 26, 2025
That’s exactly right, Petite Cerise fulfills a couple of goals and dreams of mine.
From Salon • Jul. 16, 2024
Fable replaces the neighborhood wine bar Petite Soif, and this new bottle shop/cafe inherited that same “third place” vibe.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2023
Following remediation and retesting on Nov. 23, 2022, all outlets at La Petite Academy in San Diego were in compliance, the organization said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2023
"You did know her, though? Dark hair? Petite? She might have worn a bright blue coat?"
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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.
