pittance
Americannoun
-
a small amount or share.
-
a small allowance or sum, as of money for living expenses.
-
a scanty income or remuneration.
noun
Etymology
Origin of pittance
1175–1225; Middle English pitaunce < Old French pitance, variant of pietance piety, pity, allowance of food (in a monastery). See pity, -ance
Explanation
A pittance is a tiny payment or small reimbursement for work — generally an amount that's inadequate. The restaurant may pay you a pittance, but you can do well if you get a lot of good tips. The word pittance came into English from the Old French word pitance, meaning “allowance of food to a monk or poor person,” which in turn came from the Latin word pietas, meaning “pity.” Although a pittance may have originally meant that you were taking pity on someone with less wealth by giving them money or food, these days when you get a pittance it means that you earn a pitiful wage.
Vocabulary lists containing pittance
Frankenstein
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Night
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Born a Crime
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Fong has made a habit of searching far afield for Knicks tickets, packing up his family of four during the regular season to sit courtside in Memphis for a pittance compared with New York prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Elon Musk is paying a pittance for failing to disclose his stake in Twitter in a timely fashion.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
It is a pittance compared to full members - England receive close to £33m in addition to lucrative broadcast deals.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
Spotify has long been criticized by musicians, songwriters and artists’ rights groups, who have accused the company of paying a pittance to most of the working artists whose songs appear on its platform.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 16, 2025
Hale toiled day and night for a pittance; he rode through storms—hail, lightning, sand—and survived stampedes, guiding the cattle into smaller and smaller circles before they could trample him.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
