This word confusion — petit vs petite is gender-based.
Both mean small but petit refers to males and, ahem, crime — ’cause only men commit crimes *eye roll*. Petite refers to females and is usually used in reference to clothing.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore other gender-based word confusions such as “Alumna versus Alumnus“, “Attach vs Attaché vs Attachée“, “Blond(e)s & Brunet(te)s“, “Chargé d’affaires vs Chargée d’affaires“, “Cher, Chéri versus Chère, Chérie“, “Confidant vs Confidante vs Confident“, “Fiancé versus Fiancée“, “Frances versus Francis“, “Protégé versus Protégée“, and/or “Widow versus Widower“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Petit | Petite |
|---|---|
 |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective |
| Masculine form
[Law; of a crime] Petty
|
Feminine form
Adjective: [Used of a woman] Attractively small and dainty
Noun: A garment in such a size A woman or girl who wears clothing of such a size |
| Examples: | |
| It’s classified as petit larceny. He won’t do much time.
They’re serving petit fours! He’s so petit bourgeoisie. Petit point can be time consuming. |
Adjective: She was petite and vivacious. She is a petite brunette. She’s so petite bourgeoisie. The sash accentuates her petite waist. I usually buy frozen petite peas. Traveling by air with your petite pooch or kitty has never been easier! Noun: The petites are on that rack. “We could have a pleasant debate over whether the petite sirah dominates the cabernet, and probably finish the bottle before we settle the question” (McIntyre). |
| Derivatives: | |
| Noun: petiteness | |
| History of the Word: | |
| Late Middle English (in the sense small or insignificant), from the Old French, small; the same word as petty, with retention of the French spelling. | Late 18th century French, feminine of petit meaning small. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Petit versus Petite
Apple Dictionary.com
McIntyre, Dave. “Upgrade Your July Fourth Cookout with These 3 Red Wines, Each Under $25.” The Washington Post. 25 June 2021. Web. 10 Oct 2022. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/upgrade-your-july-fourth-cookout-with-these-3-red-wines-each-under-25/2021/06/24/3faa55ca-d439-11eb-9f29-e9e6c9e843c6_story.html>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
A Petit Garden by Debbiemg is in the public domain, via PxHere. A Small Garden is Sabina Bajracharya‘s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 17 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie