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Definition of pittance
: a small portion, amount, or allowance; also : a meager wage or remuneration
From the M-W Editors
pittance was our Word of the Day on 04/15/2017. Hear the podcast!
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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
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Despite his braggadocio, Trump has a pittance of legislative accomplishments to tout.
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Metro makes an estimated $24 million a year from advertising, which is a pittance compared to its overall budget.
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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.
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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.
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While the company was going bankrupt in 1982, Veliscol and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed an agreement that provided $20 million for cleanup, a pittance of the eventual cost.
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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.
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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.
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Such a pittance could help with the occasional raid, but could do nothing to build a viable government and security forces.
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
PITTANCE Defined for English Language Learners
pittance
playDefinition of pittance for English Language Learners
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: a very small amount of money
Learn More about pittance
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pittance Spanish Central: Translation of pittance Nglish: Translation of pittance for Spanish speakers
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