noun
pittance
PIH-tuhns
noun
1
A very small amount of money, especially as pay.
"He worked long hours for a pittance during his first job."
How to Use Pittance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tiny, often unfairly small, amount of money.
Common pairings
paid a pittance
work for a pittance
Word Forms
pittances plural
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Etymology
From Old French pitance, from Medieval Latin pietantia, related to Latin pietas ("piety") — originally referring to a small charitable food allowance given to monks.