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
The Babylon Bee posted a satirical video suggesting that if a female president was mercurial — launching foreign wars, trade wars and petty feuds — and focusing on gewgaws and shoes, she’d be endlessly belittled.
—
Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 23 June 2026
Instead, Defendants appear to be actively undermining the restoration of the Kennedy Center’s name, in a petty act of defiance.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2026
The two deaths join a long list of other instances of Black Americans dying in interactions with police after accusations of petty criminal offenses.
—Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026
Walking door-to-door, Ferguson emphasizes the need to address housing affordability, and forget divisive, petty Republican culture war politics.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
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Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 23 June 2026
Instead, Defendants appear to be actively undermining the restoration of the Kennedy Center’s name, in a petty act of defiance.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2026
The two deaths join a long list of other instances of Black Americans dying in interactions with police after accusations of petty criminal offenses.
—Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026
Walking door-to-door, Ferguson emphasizes the need to address housing affordability, and forget divisive, petty Republican culture war politics.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 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 24 Jun. 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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