petty

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Small and not important.

   They were always arguing over petty matters.

2. 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. 3
   adj

   Lower in rank or importance; minor.

   He kept a little petty cash in the office drawer.

Common collocations

• petty cash Adjective + noun

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.

Topics