pitiance

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "pitiance" is not correct and usable in written English.
It appears to be derived from the Old French root "pitié," which means "pity" or "compassion," but in English, "pity" or "compassion" would be the more appropriate terms to use.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He never quite understood that I offered him just a pittance just to get rid of him to spend the last few minutes with Pelé." Pelé had to catch a plane, Toye went back to the motel to celebrate because his flight wasn't leaving until the next day.

The Guardian - Sport

The women were bought off with a pittance.

The Guardian

Homebuilt stalls, chock full of mandarins, oranges and fresh eggs selling for a pittance.

The Guardian

SBS paid the standard broadcast fee which was a "pittance", Ebeid said.

The Guardian

She had a pittance in the bank at the time, but a reckless dream of copying the old Pak Tea House in Lahore where radicals used to meet.

The Economist

Olympic Airlines was forced to deliver newspapers for a pittance to keep the country's press barons happy.

The Economist

Tied publicans earn a pittance, less than £15,000 a year in nearly half of all cases.

The Economist

Even this pittance was beyond the means of many Haitians, and she would accept perhaps a bag of fruit instead.

The Economist

But this is a pittance compared with the possible savings from avoiding expensive half-term breaks.

The Economist

Hence a headline-grabbing growl on the first day of the conference from John Edmonds, general secretary of the GMB, Britain's fourth-biggest union, and this year's TUC president, denouncing any company boss awarding himself a huge rise while his workers get a pittance as a "greedy bastard".

The Economist

The 500 foreign men who inhabit this Victorian edifice in west London are criminals and a drain on public funds; moreover, they are usually prepared to work for a pittance.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "pitiance" in formal writing as it is a misspelling. Use "pittance" instead to ensure correctness and credibility.

Common error

Don't confuse "pittance" with words that sound similar but have different meanings, such as "penance" or "patience". Double-check your spelling to avoid this error.

Linguistic Context

The word "pitiance" is a misspelling and therefore has no recognized grammatical function. The correct word, "pittance", functions as a noun, typically referring to a meager amount of money or something else of little value. Ludwig AI identifies the correct term as "pittance".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The query word, “pitiance”, is a misspelling of the word “pittance”. Ludwig AI analysis reveals that "pittance" is frequently used, primarily in News & Media contexts, to describe a small or inadequate amount of something, usually money. While the correct term can be used in different contexts, it's not a good practice to use the misspelled version in your writings. Remember to use alternatives such as "small amount" or "meager sum" if you wish to change it up.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

paltry sum

Emphasizes the worthlessness of an amount of money.

insignificant payment

Underscores the minimal impact or value of a payment.

meager sum

Emphasizes the inadequacy and scantiness of a sum of money.

next to nothing

Indicates that the amount or value is extremely low, approaching zero.

small amount

Focuses on the diminutive quantity or size of something.

mere trifle

Focuses on the small value or importance of something, suggesting it's barely worth considering.

trifling amount

Highlights the unimportance or trivial nature of an amount.

nominal fee

Suggests that a fee is so low it's almost symbolic.

peanuts

Another colloquial term signifying a small and insignificant amount, especially of money.

chicken feed

A colloquial expression for a very small amount of money.

FAQs

What does "pittance" mean?

"Pittance" refers to a very small or inadequate amount of money, wages, or allowance.

How do you spell "pittance" correctly?

The correct spelling is "pittance", with two "t"s and an "e" at the end. "Pitiance" is a misspelling.

What can I say instead of "pittance"?

You can use alternatives like "small amount", "meager sum", or "nominal fee".

Is it acceptable to use "pitiance" in writing?

No, it is not acceptable. "Pitiance" is a misspelling of "pittance", so always use the correct spelling.