petty cash: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal (Business/Accounting)
Quick answer
What does “petty cash” mean?
A small amount of money kept on hand for minor, everyday business expenses.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A small amount of money kept on hand for minor, everyday business expenses.
A cash fund used by an organization to cover incidental or minor payments. By extension, can refer to any easily accessible, small amount of money for minor uses.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or core usage. Slight regional preference for related terms like 'petty cashier' (UK) vs. 'petty cash custodian' (US).
Connotations
Identical in both varieties - suggests bureaucracy, official controls, and minor, often reimbursable expenses.
Frequency
Equally common in both UK and US business/office contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “petty cash” in a Sentence
[Subject] keeps/manages/has a petty cash fund.[Subject] paid for [item] out of petty cash.[Subject] needs to be reimbursed from petty cash.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “petty cash” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- She made a petty cash purchase for tea bags.
- All petty cash transactions must be logged.
American English
- He submitted a petty cash receipt for parking.
- Follow the petty cash procedure manual.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Primary context. Refers to the official small-cash fund for office supplies, postage, taxi fares, etc.
Academic
Used in business, management, and accounting texts/courses.
Everyday
Rare. May be used metaphorically for household money for small purchases.
Technical
Specific accounting term with defined controls and reconciliation procedures.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “petty cash”
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “petty cash”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “petty cash”
- Using it as a plural (e.g., 'petty cashes').
- Confusing it with 'small change' (coins).
- Misspelling as 'petty cache'.
- Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'a petty cash expense' is okay, but 'it's very petty cash' is not).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a compound noun written as two words: 'petty cash'.
Not in standard usage. It is a formal business/accounting term. Informally, someone might joke about their 'household petty cash' for small home expenses.
They are often synonymous. 'Petty cash' emphasizes the purpose (small expenses), while 'float' emphasizes the mechanism (a sum of money made available).
Typically via a 'petty cash voucher' or receipt for every withdrawal, kept in a locked box, with regular reconciliations against a fixed 'imprest' balance.
A small amount of money kept on hand for minor, everyday business expenses.
Petty cash is usually formal (business/accounting) in register.
Petty cash: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpɛti ˈkæʃ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpɛṭi ˈkæʃ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'petty' as meaning 'small' (like a 'petty officer' is a minor officer) and 'cash' as money. It's the SMALL CASH for SMALL things.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A FLUID (replenish the fund, draw from it, the float).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary purpose of a petty cash fund?