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
My understanding has always been that the relic trade is loosely tolerated by the powers that be (many of whom have some pretty choice relics of their own), because one of the sneakiest ways authoritarian societies thrive is by letting their subjects get away with petty rebellions.
—
Noel Murray, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
As our profile lays out, the record reveals Billy Wagner as a blustery, bigger-than-life figure who engaged in petty crime and coached his family to do the same.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
As to those petty criminals roaming the city during the holidays, Grattan has a few strategies.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Critics often say prosecutors like Gascón and Price — who often declined to file low-level misdemeanors and sought to keep most defendants out of jail before trial — can cause surges in petty crimes such as shoplifting and car burglaries.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for petty 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noel Murray, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
As our profile lays out, the record reveals Billy Wagner as a blustery, bigger-than-life figure who engaged in petty crime and coached his family to do the same.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
As to those petty criminals roaming the city during the holidays, Grattan has a few strategies.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Critics often say prosecutors like Gascón and Price — who often declined to file low-level misdemeanors and sought to keep most defendants out of jail before trial — can cause surges in petty crimes such as shoplifting and car burglaries.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
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 30 Dec. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share