pittance

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noun pit·tance \ ˈpi-tᵊn(t)s \

Definition of pittance

:a small portion, amount, or allowance; also :a meager wage or remuneration

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Examples of pittance in a Sentence

the internship offers only a pittance for a salary, but it is a great opportunity to gain experience

Recent Examples of pittance from the Web

The low compliance frustrates scientists because inoculation could basically eliminate yellow fever nationwide, and do so at a pittance.

— sam kean, Science | AAAS, "When will yellow fever strike Brazil again? Monkeys and mosquitoes hold clues," 17 Aug. 2017
That’s a pittance compared to the postwar average of 2.3%; the last high point was reached in 2001 through 2007, when growth averaged 2.7% a year.

— samantha masunaga, latimes.com, "Trump touts 'excellent' jobs report, violating federal rule," 4 Aug. 2017
Trump had similar name ID with Republican primary voters and spent a pittance en route to getting the Republican nomination for president.

— seth a. richardson, cleveland.com, "Mike DeWine enters August with more cash than any other GOP candidate," 31 July 2017
According to a 2015 survey by Phoenix East Aviation, the starting pay for US airline pilots is $20,000 to $40,000 a year, or $20 to $50 an hour, a pittance compared to the $100,000 or more in loans that many aspiring pilots take on.

— sophie weiner, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Is Facing a Disastrous Pilot Shortage," 28 July 2017
Despite his braggadocio, Trump has a pittance of legislative accomplishments to tout.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "6 months in, Trump's presidency is teetering on the brink of disaster," 18 July 2017
Metro makes an estimated $24 million a year from advertising, which is a pittance compared to its overall budget.

— fredrick kunkle, Washington Post, "Metro proposal to sell naming rights to stations is just wrong," 10 July 2017
Until a new budget is approved, $15 million in state money is available this fiscal year for the Zoo Interchange and I-94 south of Milwaukee — a pittance for a pair of jobs that together will cost more than $3 billion.

— jason stein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Work on Zoo Interchange and I-94 north-south could slow if Wisconsin budget remains stalled," 9 July 2017
More: WWII airmen, segregated by race, finally meet decades later Nearly every day Gary Marquardt plays at the graves of veterans — always leaving behind a penny on their stones as his symbol of the pittance of his service compared to theirs.

— boyd huppert, USA TODAY, "Taps-playing retiree atones for missed service in Vietnam," 26 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pittance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

It's a pity when you haven't anything but a pittance. And in fact, "pity" and "pittance" share etymological roots. The Middle English word pittance came from Anglo-French pitance, meaning "pity" or "piety." Originally, a "pittance" was a gift or bequest to a religious community, or a small charitable gift. Ultimately, the word comes from the Latin pietas, meaning "piety" or "compassion." Our words "pity" and "piety" come from "pietas" as well.

Origin and Etymology of pittance

Middle English pitance, from Anglo-French, piety, pity, dole, portion, from Medieval Latin pietantia, from pietant-, pietans, present participle of pietari to be charitable, from Latin pietas piety — more at pity

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First Known Use: 14th century

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