PETTINESS

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pettiness mean? 

• PETTINESS (noun)
  The noun PETTINESS has 3 senses:

1. narrowness of mind or ideas or views

2. the quality of being unimportant and petty or frivolous

3. lack of generosity in trifling matters

  Familiarity information: PETTINESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PETTINESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Narrowness of mind or ideas or views

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("pettiness" is a kind of...):

narrow-mindedness; narrowness (an inclination to criticize opposing opinions or shocking behavior)

Derivation:

petty (contemptibly narrow in outlook)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality of being unimportant and petty or frivolous

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

pettiness; puniness; slightness; triviality

Hypernyms ("pettiness" is a kind of...):

unimportance (the quality of not being important or worthy of note)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pettiness"):

joke (a triviality not to be taken seriously)

Derivation:

petty (inferior in rank or status)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lack of generosity in trifling matters

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

littleness; pettiness; smallness

Hypernyms ("pettiness" is a kind of...):

closeness; meanness; minginess; niggardliness; niggardness; parsimoniousness; parsimony; tightfistedness; tightness (extreme stinginess)

Derivation:

petty ((informal) small and of little importance)