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
Kansas’ public officials should avoid the distractions of petty prejudices and focus on representing all their citizens.
—
Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Joe Cole, late of Peaky Blinders, plays Ethan, a former petty teen gangster from Las Vegas who has decamped to Los Angeles and made an honest man of himself.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
The Pentagon’s position was that all of this petty haggling was moot.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Any suggestion of a cohesive, equitable tax policy in Florida has been shredded by petty partisanship, deceitful tactics and fake populism.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
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Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Joe Cole, late of Peaky Blinders, plays Ethan, a former petty teen gangster from Las Vegas who has decamped to Los Angeles and made an honest man of himself.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
The Pentagon’s position was that all of this petty haggling was moot.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Any suggestion of a cohesive, equitable tax policy in Florida has been shredded by petty partisanship, deceitful tactics and fake populism.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 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 27 Mar. 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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