pittance
noun
pit·tance
ˈpi-tᵊn(t)s 
: a small portion, amount, or allowance
also
: a meager wage or remuneration
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.
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 on the Web
That’s a pittance compared to some streaming shows, which cost upwards of $20 million per hour.
—
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
All that thinking is taking place with a pittance of energy.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Being part of a successful posse could earn a man a share of the reward money put up by the railroad, which was just a pittance compared to what the robbers took while the lawmen chasing them lived in the saddle for days or even weeks.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
Nearly 20,000 people canceled their digital subscriptions in a matter of days — a record number for the paper, if a pittance compared to the 300,000 who canceled their Washington Post subscriptions when its owner, Jeff Bezos, made the same move.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pittance
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Josef Adalian, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
All that thinking is taking place with a pittance of energy.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Being part of a successful posse could earn a man a share of the reward money put up by the railroad, which was just a pittance compared to what the robbers took while the lawmen chasing them lived in the saddle for days or even weeks.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025
Nearly 20,000 people canceled their digital subscriptions in a matter of days — a record number for the paper, if a pittance compared to the 300,000 who canceled their Washington Post subscriptions when its owner, Jeff Bezos, made the same move.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pittance
Cite this Entry
“Pittance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pittance. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pittance
noun
pit·tance
ˈpit-ᵊn(t)s
: a small portion, amount, or allowance especially of money
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