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Synonyms

trivia

1 American  
[triv-ee-uh] / ˈtrɪv i ə /

plural noun

  1. matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.

Trivia 2 American  
[triv-ee-uh] / ˈtrɪv i ə /

noun

  1. (in Roman religion) Diana: so called because she was the goddess of three-way crossroads and also because she was regarded as a deity with three personae.

trivia British  
/ ˈtrɪvɪə /

noun

  1. (functioning as singular or plural) petty details or considerations; trifles; trivialities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of trivia1

1900–05; pseudo-Latin trivia (neuter plural), taken as the base of trivial

Origin of Trivia2

First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin, feminine of trivius (adj.), derivative of trivium “place where three roads meet,” equivalent to tri- tri- + -vium, derivative of via “way, road”

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.

But the pub trivia night was fun, even though I bombed with British topics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Like her blog, her book takes discrete pieces of information—biographical details, scientific trivia, “on this day” connections between disparate discoveries and figures—and elicits from them a narrative.

From The Wall Street Journal

Paul Gervase is more than just the answer to a trivia question.

From Los Angeles Times

Kate Movius moved among a roomful of Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, passing out a pop trivia quiz and paper prism glasses.

From Los Angeles Times

“You’d be surprised. Bingo gets a little heated. Not as bad as trivia, but almost.”

From Literature

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.