petite

American  

[puh-teet] / pəˈtit /

adjective

1. 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.

2. small; little.

   I usually buy frozen petite peas.

   Traveling by air with your petite pooch or kitty has never been easier!

---

noun

1. a category of clothing sized for women or girls of less than average height.

2. a garment in such a size.

   The petites are on that rack.

3. a woman or girl who wears clothing of such a size.

petite British  

/ pəˈtiːt /

adjective

1. (of a woman) small, delicate, and dainty

---

Other Word Forms

• petiteness noun

Etymology

Origin of petite

First recorded in 1760–70; from French; feminine of petit

Example Sentences

A petite Black or Black Native, maybe your age or a year younger, stops walking to lean against the wall, wraps her arms around her stomach.

From Literature

‘Humanize me a little,” says the petite woman in a cashmere sweater at the end of a forthright, occasionally spiky interview.

From The Wall Street Journal

Skip the petite rounded accent tables and give me a square-edged desk with a built-in power outlet.

From The Wall Street Journal

The privacy policy it puts forth does have the benefit of transparency, but ultimately, it’s just a list of what Avast collects, with only a petite section that lists what it doesn’t collect.

From Salon

In the middle of the two-story space, May’s petite cafe sits tucked beneath the concrete staircase that leads to a terrace, the ideal place for cooling off mid shopping spree.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dainty
• diminutive