trivia

¹

[triv-ee-uh]

plural noun

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

Trivia

²

[triv-ee-uh]

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

/ ˈtrɪvɪə /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of trivia¹

from New Latin, plural of Latin trivium junction of three roads; for meaning, see _trivial

Example Sentences

There is only so much trivia and name-that-tune you can play, only so many times you can eat that salad with chicken and sesame dressing or the station du jour at the buffet.

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And, similar to retirement accounts, you can automate your contributions to friendships: Commit to attending a weekly trivia night, host a book club, or schedule a standing monthly FaceTime date with your best friend.

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For a fee starting at $225 a person, attendees get flashlight tours of exhibits including the fossil halls, do scavenger hunts, play trivia games and have bedtime snacks.

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Mr. Kaplow’s crackling script incorporates some historically accurate trivia involving other celebrities who showed up at Sardi’s, including one jarringly self-confident and vaguely obnoxious little boy.

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Until a few years ago, Chongqing was largely a trivia answer: the world’s most populous city by some measures, with 32 million people in a South Carolina-size area.

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Related Words

• memorabilia 
• minutiae