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

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

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]

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 fours in my …

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), [1] or of imitative origin.

Petit (pronounced /pəˈtiː/ or /pəˈtɪt/) is an adjective of French origin meaning “small” or “little.” This term can convey various connotations based on context, including size, importance, and degree.

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

Apr 30, 2025 · In French, “petit” is incredibly versatile. It can describe the physical size of an object (“une petite maison” – a small house), the age of a person (“un petit garçon” – a little boy), or even the …

PETIT translate: small, little, small, little, small, child, baby, light, little, minor, short, slight, small…. Learn more in the Cambridge French-English Dictionary.