The meaning of PETIT is petty —used chiefly in legal compounds.

PETIT definition: small; petty; minor. See examples of petit used in a sentence.

Place the butter, petit pois and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Add the petit pois, orange juice and honey to the leeks. In the US a petit four is totally exotic! I left with all the ignored petit …

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the word petit, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

(Law) (prenominal) chiefly law of little or lesser importance; small: petit jury. [C14: from Old French: little, of obscure origin]

Dec 11, 2025 · From Middle English petit, from Old French petit, from Late Latin *pitittus, diminutive of Latin *pit-, possibly from Proto-Celtic *pett- (“part, bit, piece”) (see Latin pettia), …

Petit definition: Lesser in seriousness or scale.

The word ‘petit’ is used to describe something that is small in size, amount, or importance. It often connotes delicacy or cuteness.

petit /ˈpɛti/ IPA guide Definitions of petit adjective (of a crime) lesser in seriousness or importance synonyms: petty

petit in American English (ˈpɛti ) adjective Origin: OFr: see petty small or of less importance; petty [now used chiefly in law]