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
Synonyms
Examples of petty in a Sentence
a petty argument about grammar
My behavior was petty and stupid. I apologize.
Recent Examples on the Web
But the smoke is still rising, and petty partisanship is a distraction and disservice at the moment, given all that’s been lost, and all the hard work of moving forward.
—
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
In an era of steadily declining trust in media, the dry formalities of a legal template provide not only an imprimatur of institutional credibility, but also the freedom to go into extreme amounts of detail without seeming petty, tedious or self-indulgent.
—Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
Also realized that Danielle Collins, even in her golden tennis years, seems to really be a petty person.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
But when one girl’s present gets lost in the shuffle, only Arthur seems to care that no child should be forgotten on Christmas Day while everyone else, including Santa, is caught up in their own petty grievances and insecurities.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for petty 
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Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
In an era of steadily declining trust in media, the dry formalities of a legal template provide not only an imprimatur of institutional credibility, but also the freedom to go into extreme amounts of detail without seeming petty, tedious or self-indulgent.
—Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
Also realized that Danielle Collins, even in her golden tennis years, seems to really be a petty person.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
But when one girl’s present gets lost in the shuffle, only Arthur seems to care that no child should be forgotten on Christmas Day while everyone else, including Santa, is caught up in their own petty grievances and insecurities.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for petty
Dictionary Entries Near petty
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petty. Accessed 21 Jan. 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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