Standard Lemma guide

pettifoggery

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpɛti.fɒɡ.ə.ɹi/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The actions of a pettifogger; a trivial quarrel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was capable of using lawyerly rhetoric, at times, to the brink of pettifoggery.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a quarrel about petty points

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bicker, bickering, spat, tiff, squabble, fuss

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: quarrel, wrangle, row, words, run-in, dustup

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English pettifogger Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -ārius Old French -ier Latin -ia Old French -ie Old French -eriebor. Middle English -erie English -ery English pettifoggery From pettifogger + -ery.