petty

¹ American  

[pet-ee] / ˈpɛt i /

adjective

pettier, pettiest

1. of little or no importance or consequence.

   petty grievances.

   Synonyms:

   slight, inconsiderable, negligible, nugatory

   Antonyms:

   important

2. of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor.

   petty considerations.

3. having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc..

   petty minds.

   Synonyms:

   small

4. mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things.

   a petty person.

   Synonyms:

   miserly, stingy

   Antonyms:

   generous

5. showing or caused by meanness of spirit.

   a petty revenge.

6. of secondary rank, especially in relation to others of the same class or kind.

   petty states; a petty tyrant.

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Petty ² American  

[pet-ee] / ˈpɛt i /

noun

1. Richard, born 1937, U.S. racing-car driver.

2. William, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne. William Petty Fitzmaurice Lansdowne.

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petty British  

/ ˈpɛtɪ /

adjective

1. trivial; trifling; inessential

   petty details

2. of a narrow-minded, mean, or small-natured disposition or character

   petty spite

3. minor or subordinate in rank

   petty officialdom

4. law of lesser importance

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Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• pettily adverb
• pettiness noun

Etymology

Origin of petty

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English peti(t) “small, minor,” from Old French petit, from unattested Gallo-Romance pittīttus, of expressive origin

Explanation

Petty used to mean just "petite" or "small," but now it's used for things that are trivial and shouldn’t matter much. If you host world leaders and spend more time picking napkins than memorizing names, you're focused on petty things. A few neutral meanings of petty are still in use today — such as "petty cash," which refers to a small amount of cash on hand — but most uses of petty since the 16th century are negative, as in "narrow-minded," "trivial," and "of little importance." A "petty argument" is a popular expression, because many people get all worked up over something that isn't very important — a petty concern — that seems much smaller after the heat of the moment.

Example Sentences

At one point Mulligan's Lindsay, an interior designer with a dachshund called Burberry, points out that she and Josh have "so much more experience being petty".

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Opened in 1873, the privately operated detention facility housed petty delinquents and orphans, said Marc Schindler, a professor at Georgetown who leads the project.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

“The common sense of mankind demands that law shall not stop with the punishment of petty crimes by little people. It must also reach men who possess themselves of great power.”

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

But the 184-page decision that American lawmakers made public shows the commission acting like a petty despot, with little if any regard for due process.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

No one to echo her every petty remark, round out her laughter.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• frivolous
• lesser
• minor
• narrow-minded