Definitions for petty
ˈpɛt ipet·ty

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. petit larceny, petty larceny, petty(adj)

   larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale)

2. junior-grade, lower-ranking, lowly, petty(a), secondary, subaltern(adj)

   inferior in rank or status

   "the junior faculty"; "a lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate functionary"

3. fiddling, footling, lilliputian, little, niggling, piddling, piffling, petty, picayune, trivial(adj)

   (informal) small and of little importance

   "a fiddling sum of money"; "a footling gesture"; "our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war"; "a little (or small) matter"; "a dispute over niggling details"; "limited to petty enterprises"; "piffling efforts"; "giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction"

4. petty, small-minded(adj)

   contemptibly narrow in outlook

   "petty little comments"; "disgusted with their small-minded pettiness"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. petty(Adjective)

   (obsolete except in set phrases) little, small, secondary in rank or importance

   Etymology: From petit, English since the late 14th century.

2. petty(Adjective)

   insignificant, trifling, or inconsiderable

   a petty fault

   Etymology: From petit, English since the late 14th century.

3. petty(Adjective)

   narrow-minded, small-minded

   Etymology: From petit, English since the late 14th century.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Petty

   little; trifling; inconsiderable; also, inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; a petty prince

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Petty

   Petty is an unincorporated community in Lamar County, Texas, United States. The Chisum Independent School District serves area students.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Petty

   pet′i, adj. small: of less importance: lower in rank, power, &c.: inconsiderable, insignificant: contemptible.—adv. Pett′ily.—n. Pett′iness.—Petty cash, small sums of money received or paid; Petty larceny (see Larceny); Petty officer, a naval officer with rank corresponding to a non-commissioned officer in the army. [O. Fr. petit.]

Etymology and Origins(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Petty

   Provincial for an out-house, because its accommodation is restricted to one person; also called a “Privy,” short for private.

How to pronounce petty?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say petty in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of petty in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of petty in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of petty in a Sentence

1. Chuang-tzu:

   Great wisdom is generous petty wisdom is contentious. Great speech is impassioned, small speech cantankerous.

2. Said Boumedouha:

   The execution of people accused of petty crimes and on the basis of ‘confessions’ extracted through torture has become shamefully common in Saudi Arabia. It is absolutely shocking to witness the Kingdom’s authorities callous disregard to fundamental human rights, the use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia is so far removed from any kind of legal parameters that it is almost hard to believe.

3. Constantin Stanislavski:

   Remember this practical piece of advice: Never come into the theatre with mud on your feet. Leave your dust and dirt outside. Check your little worries, squabbles, petty difficulties with your outside clothing -- all the things that ruin your life and draw your attention away from your art -- at the door.

4. Vladimir Lenin:

   You all know that even when women have full rights, they still remain fatally downtrodden because all housework is left to them. In most cases housework is the most unproductive, the most barbarous and the most arduous work a woman can do. It is exceptionally petty and does not include anything that would in any way promote the development of the woman.

5. Margaret Stock:

   The administration is deporting as many criminal aliens as possible for the numbers, but it does n’t take into account military service, most people also don’t understand how complicated immigration law really is and how easy it is to run afoul of these complex laws. Making matters worse, Margaret Stock said, is that defendants in deportation cases are not automatically given attorneys and often ca n’t afford to hire their own, resulting in many being wrongfully deported. Any lawful permanent resident, veteran or not, can be deported upon conviction of a crime that falls under the extremely broad umbrella of a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude. This can be either a misdemeanor or felony, and typically includes anything from assault, fraud and perjury to robbery, theft and bribery. The rulings are often viewed by immigration lawyers as arbitrary and the immigration code now includes scores of petty offenses listed alongside the severe ones, all punishable by deportation. Still, the federal government is very deliberate in its review of cases involving veterans, insisted Gillian Christensen, spokeswoman for the U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement( ICE).

Images & Illustrations of petty

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