Word
petit
Phoneticspe·tit
US/ˈpɛti/
UK/pətˈiː/
Definition
adj. small or minor in importance. It is an old-fashioned word mostly used today in specific legal terms.
adj. small, minor, or insignificant in scale or importance. Primarily restricted to legal contexts or archaic usage; often used in fixed phrases.
Examples
“The lawyer explained the difference between grand and petit larceny.”
“The defendant was charged with petit larceny for stealing a small amount of groceries from the store.”
“While the term has largely been replaced by 'petty' in modern English, it survives in the legal distinction of a petit jury, which hears evidence and determines facts in a trial.”
Examples
simple
“The lawyer explained the difference between grand and petit larceny.”
contextual
“The defendant was charged with petit larceny for stealing a small amount of groceries from the store.”
complex
“While the term has largely been replaced by 'petty' in modern English, it survives in the legal distinction of a petit jury, which hears evidence and determines facts in a trial.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun. In legal contexts, it is often contrasted with 'grand'.
Pitfall
a petty jury
a petit jury
In specific legal terminology, the traditional spelling 'petit' is required even though it is pronounced like 'petty'.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/petit