pettier; pettiest
1
: having secondary rank or importance : minor, subordinate
2
: having little or no importance or significance
3
: marked by or reflective of narrow interests and sympathies : small-minded
Examples of petty in a Sentence
a petty argument about grammar
My behavior was petty and stupid. I apologize.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples of petty beatings also abound, like footage from December showing two guys in Leeds, UK tossing a delivery robot into a bush, or video of one bot cracked open and left for dead on a Los Angeles sidewalk.
—
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 2 Apr. 2026
His distracted state gave him practically no leverage to overcome Senate President Bill Ferguson’s blockade against his petty redistricting effort.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
Yet many now think of it as a wasteful ritual requiring compliance to petty rules.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Hole, Oleg and Martin Aminov (Simon J Berger), a petty gun smuggler mistakenly accused of being the serial killer, wind up in a stationary elevator stuck between two floors with an armed Waaler reaching in to grab Oleg’s hair.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
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Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 2 Apr. 2026
His distracted state gave him practically no leverage to overcome Senate President Bill Ferguson’s blockade against his petty redistricting effort.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
Yet many now think of it as a wasteful ritual requiring compliance to petty rules.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Hole, Oleg and Martin Aminov (Simon J Berger), a petty gun smuggler mistakenly accused of being the serial killer, wind up in a stationary elevator stuck between two floors with an armed Waaler reaching in to grab Oleg’s hair.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petty. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
petty
adjective
pet·ty
ˈpet-ē 
pettier; pettiest
1
: lesser in rank or importance : minor
a petty prince
2
: having little or no importance or meaning
petty details
3
: having or displaying a mean narrow-minded attitude : small-minded
Etymology
Middle English pety "small, minor," an altered form of petit (same meaning), from early French petit "small"
Legal Definition
Biographical Definition
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