# pittance

/ˈpɪtəns/ (US) · /pˈɪtəns/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pittance
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

a very small amount of money, especially pay that is too low to live on. You use it when someone is paid unfairly little for their work.

For teachers: a very small or inadequate amount of money, especially wages considered unfairly low. Often contrasts the amount received with the work done or need involved.

## Examples

- She earns a pittance for long hours of work.
- The retired cleaner lives on a pittance from her pension and takes extra shifts to pay rent.
- What the estate offered as compensation was a mere pittance compared to decades of loyal service, a sum that barely covered a month's expenses.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.