# Petit/Petty Misdemeanor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petit-petty-misdemeanor/205117 "2003-10-02T14:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petit-petty-misdemeanor/205117/1 "2003-10-02T14:22:03Z")
I’ve seen petit/petty misdemeanor written both ways and I was wondering which is correct (or are they both correct?) ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petit-petty-misdemeanor/205117/2 "2003-10-02T14:51:30Z")
American Heritage Dictionary defines as: pet·it also pet·ty adj. Law. Lesser; minor. [Middle English, from Old French.] ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petit-petty-misdemeanor/205117/3 "2003-10-02T17:38:41Z")
I think “petty” is by far the more common modern spelling, although if you used “petit” most would know what you meant. The one exception is when referring to a jury, which is technically a petit jury, but nobody uses that phrase except in order to contrast it with a grand jury. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petit-petty-misdemeanor/205117/4 "2003-10-02T20:36:32Z")
The Florida Statutes use the French spelling in the case of petit theft, IIRC.