trivial

American  

[triv-ee-uhl] / ˈtrɪv i əl /

adjective

1. of very little importance or value; insignificant.

   Don't bother me with trivial matters.

   Synonyms:

   trifling, frivolous, inconsequential, immaterial, slight, nugatory, unimportant

   Antonyms:

   important

2. commonplace; ordinary.

3. Biology. (of names of organisms) specific, as distinguished from generic.

4. Mathematics.

   1. noting a solution of an equation in which the value of every variable of the equation is equal to zero.

   2. (of a theorem, proof, or the like) simple, transparent, or immediately evident.

5. 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.

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trivial British  

/ ˈtrɪvɪəl /

adjective

1. of little importance; petty or frivolous

   trivial complaints

2. ordinary or commonplace; trite

   trivial conversation

3. maths (of the solutions of a set of homogeneous equations) having zero values for all the variables

4. biology denoting the specific name of an organism in binomial nomenclature

5. biology chem denoting the popular name of an organism or substance, as opposed to the scientific one

6. of or relating to the trivium

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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; see tri-, -al ¹

Explanation

Something that is trivial is not important or significant, such as the trivial details you shared with me about your trip to the post office this morning. Trivial can also describe something that isn't deep or meaningful, like a trivial movie that you'll forget about after the credits roll. It comes from the Latin word trivium: tri means "three" and via is "road." So a trivium is a "place where three roads meet," meaning a crossroads — just something ordinary. So something that is trivial is not worth remembering; it just isn't important.

Example Sentences

She believed, as Arendt never could have, in the judgment of history as “an objective suprahuman process” that, like God for believers, would remember even trivial human events and endow all experience with meaning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Most economists, meanwhile, expect that the impact of higher energy costs on inflation will be relatively trivial.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she said.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

Prof Loos said the genetic effect, while modest, "is similar to other factors - and not trivial".

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

He should know she was not going to be beholden to the neighbors for anything so trivial as her own comfort.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

• commonplace
• frivolous
• immaterial
• incidental
• inconsequential
• insignificant
• irrelevant
• meaningless
• minor
• negligible
• paltry
• petty
• superficial
• trite
• unimportant