Search Result for "petty": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (1)

1. larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale);
[syn: petit larceny, petty larceny, petty]


ADJECTIVE (3)

1. inferior in rank or status;
- Example: "the junior faculty"
- Example: "a lowly corporal"
- Example: "petty officialdom"
- Example: "a subordinate functionary"
[syn: junior-grade, lower-ranking, lowly, petty(a), secondary, subaltern]

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

3. contemptibly narrow in outlook;
- Example: "petty little comments"
- Example: "disgusted with their small-minded pettiness"
[syn: petty, small-minded]



The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Petty \Pet"ty\ (p[e^]t"t[y^]), a. [Compar. Pettier
   (p[e^]t"t[i^]*[~e]r); superl. Pettiest.] [OE. petit, F.
   petit; probably of Celtic origin, and akin to E. piece. Cf.
   Petit.]
   Little; trifling; inconsiderable; unimportant; also,
   inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; petty complaints; a
   petty prince. --Denham.
   [1913 Webster]

         Like a petty god
         I walked about, admired of all.          --Milton.
   [1913 Webster]

   Petty averages. See under Average.

   Petty cash, money expended or received in small items or
      amounts.

   Petty officer, a subofficer in the navy, as a gunner, etc.,
      corresponding to a noncommissionned officer in the army.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: For petty constable, petty jury, petty larceny, petty
         treason, See Petit.
         [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Little; diminutive; inconsiderable; inferior; trifling;
        trivial; unimportant; frivolous.
        [1913 Webster]


WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

petty
    adj 1: inferior in rank or status; "the junior faculty"; "a
           lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate
           functionary" [syn: junior-grade, lower-ranking,
           lowly, petty(a), secondary, subaltern]
    2: (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" [syn: fiddling,
       footling, lilliputian, little, niggling, piddling,
       piffling, petty, picayune, trivial]
    3: contemptibly narrow in outlook; "petty little comments";
       "disgusted with their small-minded pettiness" [syn: petty,
       small-minded]
    n 1: larceny of property having a value less than some amount
         (the amount varies by locale) [syn: petit larceny, petty
         larceny, petty] [ant: grand larceny, grand theft]