The meaning of PETTY is having secondary rank or importance : minor, subordinate. How to use petty in a sentence.

petty adjective (SELFISH) selfish and mean, esp. because of having too much interest in small and unimportant matters:

Definition of petty adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

If you describe someone's behaviour as petty, you mean that they care too much about small, unimportant things and perhaps that they are unnecessarily unkind.

Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950 – October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader and frontman of the rock bands Tom Petty and the …

1. of little or no importance; inconsequential: petty grievances. 2. of lesser importance or merit; minor: petty considerations. 3. having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc.: petty minds. 4. …

Nov 14, 2025 · The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], [1] from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet …

petty adjective (UNIMPORTANT) Add to word list unimportant or not serious: petty details

You can use petty to describe things such as problems, rules, or arguments which you think are unimportant or relate to unimportant things.

Synonyms for PETTY: small, parochial, narrow, little, provincial, insular, sectarian, narrow-minded; Antonyms of PETTY: liberal, tolerant, open, cosmopolitan, receptive, catholic, …