trivial
Americanadjective
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of very little importance or value; insignificant.
Don't bother me with trivial matters.
- Synonyms:
- trifling, frivolous, inconsequential, immaterial, slight, nugatory, unimportant
- Antonyms:
- important
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commonplace; ordinary.
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Biology. (of names of organisms) specific, as distinguished from generic.
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Mathematics.
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noting a solution of an equation in which the value of every variable of the equation is equal to zero.
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(of a theorem, proof, or the like) simple, transparent, or immediately evident.
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Chemistry. (of names of chemical compounds) derived from the natural source, or of historic origin, and not according to the systematic nomenclature.
Picric acid is the trivial name of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol.
adjective
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of little importance; petty or frivolous
trivial complaints
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ordinary or commonplace; trite
trivial conversation
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maths (of the solutions of a set of homogeneous equations) having zero values for all the variables
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biology denoting the specific name of an organism in binomial nomenclature
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biology chem denoting the popular name of an organism or substance, as opposed to the scientific one
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of or relating to the trivium
Related Words
See petty.
Other Word Forms
- supertrivial adjective
- trivially adverb
- trivialness noun
- untrivial adjective
- untrivially adverb
Etymology
Origin of trivial
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin triviālis “belonging to the crossroads or street corner,” hence “commonplace,” equivalent to tri- “three” + vi(a) “road” + -ālis adjective suffix; tri-, -al 1
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.
In “tiny habit” experiments, trivial actions prove far more durable than grand ambitions launched with January zeal.
It's the trivial stuff that is messed up - like ridiculous face-offs or the banter.
From BBC
But the commercial applications for quantum computing look like they are relatively trivial.
From Barron's
The trivial amounts involved in providing these lifesaving interventions may come as a shock to many — especially after all the grotesque misreporting and misrepresentations on the subject.
From MarketWatch
Lord Herbert told the Today programme Shabana Mahmood had indicated she did not want police to be focused on "trivial" incidents.
From BBC
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.
