American Dictionary

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Definition petty in American English

petty adjective

adjective
/ˈpeti/
1

not important and not worth worrying about

Example

I'm not interested in their petty squabbles.

Example

Village life is full of gossip and petty jealousies.

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2

unpleasant to someone because you care too much about something that is not really important

Example

It was a bit petty to make me apologize to everyone.

Synonyms and related words
3

minor

Example

petty bureaucrats/officials

Example

a petty criminal/thief/offender

Synonyms and related words
Definition petty in American English