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
Catt hires Paul Garcia, a recovering alcoholic recently out of prison for petty fraud, to manage her apartment buildings, becomes romantically involved with him, and then gets embroiled in trying to extricate him from the pincers of the criminal-justice system and debt.
—
Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
What starts as a petty territorial conflict mutates into a spiralling cycle of retributions, escalating from passive-aggressive jabs to acts of destruction and ruin.
—Udita Jhunjhunwala, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
In this case, Paris prosecutors have described the four suspects currently in custody – three of whom are believed to have been directly involved in the heist – as local petty criminals with no connection to organized crime.
—John Miller, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025
Laing affectingly renders this mentor-apprentice relationship, exploring the complexity of its vulnerabilities, jealousies and petty frustrations.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
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Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
What starts as a petty territorial conflict mutates into a spiralling cycle of retributions, escalating from passive-aggressive jabs to acts of destruction and ruin.
—Udita Jhunjhunwala, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
In this case, Paris prosecutors have described the four suspects currently in custody – three of whom are believed to have been directly involved in the heist – as local petty criminals with no connection to organized crime.
—John Miller, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025
Laing affectingly renders this mentor-apprentice relationship, exploring the complexity of its vulnerabilities, jealousies and petty frustrations.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
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 Nov. 2025.
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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