petty

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Judge Richard Eaton got his start as a Village Justice for Cooperstown, N.Y., handling petty crimes and small-dollar disputes in the tiny rural region, with a population around 2,000.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Opened in 1873, the privately operated detention facility housed petty delinquents and orphans, said Marc Schindler, a professor at Georgetown who leads the project.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

So I’m saying to all of my guests, don’t come here committing petty crimes.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

One of his most popular films was the 1975 blockbuster, Sholay, where he played a petty criminal hired by the police to capture a villain.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

He reiterated his insistence that in Chicago “simplicity and reserve will be practiced and petty effects and frippery avoided.”

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson