petty

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɛt.i/ UK /ˈpɛt.i/ See IPA manual

Freq #4293

Meanings

1

adj
Small and not important.

They were always arguing over petty matters.
2

adj
Caring too much about small, unimportant things and being mean about them.

It was petty of him to complain about such a tiny mistake.
3

adj
Lower in rank or importance; minor.

He kept a little petty cash in the office drawer.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · small and not important. trivial minor insignificant

2 adj · caring too much about... small-minded

Word family

Forms pettierpettiestpettiness

Derived forms petticoatpettiespettifogpettifoggerpettifoggerypettilypettinesspettitoespetty-housepettychapspettywhinunpetty

Related forms quibble

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Petty is a phonetic English rendering of French petit, “small.” It first referred to small physical size, while the sense “of little importance” appeared in the late 16th century.

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet (“young; little, small; inferior; insignificant”) (modern French petit), ultimately of imitative origin. It is no longer thought that the word is derived from Celtic. Doublet of petit and petite. The noun is derived from the adjective.

peti Middle English petit Middle French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# petty

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɛt.i/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɛt.i/
**Frequency rank:** 4293

## Meanings
1. Small and not important.
2. Caring too much about small, unimportant things and being mean about them.
3. Lower in rank or importance; minor.

## Examples
- They were always arguing over petty matters.
- It was petty of him to complain about such a tiny mistake.
- He kept a little petty cash in the office drawer.

## Derived Forms
- petticoat
- petties
- pettifog
- pettifogger
- pettifoggery
- pettily
- pettiness
- pettitoes
- petty-house
- pettychaps
- pettywhin
- unpetty

## Related Forms
- quibble

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: peti
- Root: petit

## Etymology
The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet (“young; little, small; inferior; insignificant”) (modern French petit), ultimately of imitative origin. It is no longer thought that the word is derived from Celtic. Doublet of petit and petite. The noun is derived from the adjective.

## AI Etymology
Petty: The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet (“young; little, small; inferior; insignificant”) (modern French petit), ultimately of imitative origin. It is no longer thought that the word is derived from Celtic. Doublet of petit and petite. The noun is derived from the adjective. In present-day English it covers small and not important, caring too much about small, unimportant things and being mean about them, and lower in rank or importance; minor. The wider family includes derived forms such as petticoat, petties, pettifog, pettifogger, pettifoggery and related forms such as quibble.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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