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
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
The same bunch that two years ago had been limited to a pair of national windows (a pittance compared to the Cowboys’ standard dose of 11 big dates) is now the most popular team on the tube.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Jan. 2025
In the meantime, JPMorgan has set aside around $10 billion of its own money — a pittance for the bank — to compete with the likes of Blue Owl on private credit deals.
—Rob Copeland, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pittance
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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
The same bunch that two years ago had been limited to a pair of national windows (a pittance compared to the Cowboys’ standard dose of 11 big dates) is now the most popular team on the tube.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Jan. 2025
In the meantime, JPMorgan has set aside around $10 billion of its own money — a pittance for the bank — to compete with the likes of Blue Owl on private credit deals.
—Rob Copeland, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pittance
Cite this Entry
“Pittance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pittance. Accessed 2 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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