pittance

[ pit-ns ]

noun

1. a small amount or share.
2. a small allowance or sum, as of money for living expenses.
3. a scanty income or remuneration.

pittance

/ ˈpɪtəns /

noun

1. a small amount or portion, esp a meagre allowance of money

Word History and Origins

Origin of pittance¹

1175–1225; Middle English pitaunce < Old French pitance, variant of pietance piety, pity, allowance of food (in a monastery). See pity, -ance

Word History and Origins

Origin of pittance¹

C16: from Old French pietance ration, ultimately from Latin pietās duty

Example Sentences

Texas lawmakers work part-time, and they are paid a pittance — $7,200 a year plus a $221 per diem when the legislature is in session — so most lawmakers have to have another job to make ends meet.

From Vox

ProPublica has published an article, based on a vast trove of never-before-seen IRS information, that reveals the pittance in taxes the ultrawealthy pay compared with their massive wealth accumulation.

From ProPublica

Musicians, who could leverage the platform to make far more than the per-stream pittance they get from the Spotifys of the world.

From Ozy

Tech giants that earn billions of dollars in major economies but pay only a relative pittance in taxes are among the biggest targets.

From Ozy

The low cash price would value their shares and options at a pittance, dashing their expectations of a windfall.

From ProPublica

In other words, overtime amounts to only pittance of the overall pay — about $6.50 a week on top of wages of $1,000 a week.

From The Daily Beast

In budgetary terms, it was a pittance: 0.1 percent of the CDC's $2.2 billion allocation.

From The Daily Beast

Despite powering the country's economic growth, they receive a pittance of the proceeds.

From The Daily Beast

Fire officers appreciate that the amount of burning witnessed in recent years is a pittance compared to what is required.

From The Daily Beast

These immigrants are often employed illegally (but also legally) for a pittance, working in factories or as fruit pickers.

From The Daily Beast

Robert is very well in a way, to give up all the money he can earn to the family, and keep the barest pittance for himself.

From Project Gutenberg

What man would even lose the smallest of his joints for such a trifling pittance?

From Project Gutenberg

“Rather than vegetate upon her small pittance,” returned the doctor briskly.

From Project Gutenberg

It is well known that these are eaten raw: but after so many labours, so various and so rude, the pittance was meagre.

From Project Gutenberg

We deemed death as welcome in one shape as in another, and relinquished our labors and our pittance of food together.

From Project Gutenberg