trivial
adjective
Did you know?
When English speakers adopted the word trivial from Latin trivialis in the 16th century, they used it to mean just what its Latin ancestor meant: "found everywhere, commonplace." But the source of trivialis is about something more specific: trivium, from tri- (three) and via (way), means "crossroads; place where three roads meet." The link between the two presumably has to do with the commonplace sorts of things a person is likely to encounter at a busy crossroads. Today, the English word typically describes something barely worth mentioning. Such judgments are, of course, subjective; feel free to mention this bit of trivia to anyone and everyone who crosses your path.
Did you know?
Trivial comes from a Latin word meaning "crossroads"—that is, where three roads come together. Since a crossroads is a very public place where all kinds of people might show up, trivialis came to mean "commonplace" or "vulgar." Today the English word has changed slightly in meaning and instead usually describes something barely worth mentioning. Mathematicians use the word to refer to the mathematically simplest case, but the rest of us tend to use it just to mean "unimportant." "Small talk" at a party, for example, is usually trivial conversation. To trivialize something is to treat it as if it doesn't matter, as if it is just another triviality.
Synonyms
Examples of trivial in a Sentence
Muriel Spark, Curriculum Vitae, (1992) 1993
I had never heard anyone speak of their parents in this way; I never even knew you could make them seem trivial …
—Jamaica Kincaid, Lucy, 1990
But the last tribute was to be a struggle among states for possession of the trivial remains of a man who in life had known as much revilement as honor.
—Robert Penn Warren, Jefferson Davis Gets His Citizenship Back, 1980
statistics and other trivial matters
a trivial sum of money
Compared to her problems, our problems seem trivial.
Julie Boatman, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024
None of these problems is trivial, but they’ve been substantially tackled over the past 30 years of BCI research.
—S. I. Rosenbaum, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2024
Having access to medication isn’t a trivial matter, and technology literally delivers access in spades.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The struggle to balance my children’s distinct needs is overwhelming, and, with my reentry into the workforce, trivial responsibilities with my toddler are falling on my teenage daughter.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2024
This is not a trivial problem for robots, though, because interactions between point contacts that are rigid (like how most robotics manipulators handle the world) are fairly well understood.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2024
Hence, the three trivial issues are endlessly talked about: traffic, lack of safe eclipse glasses and the probability of terrible weather.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
However, suspensions are rather common and often happen for trivial reasons.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Officers often pursued drivers for trivial violations and in dangerous conditions, including poor visibility.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trivial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near trivial
Cite this Entry
“Trivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trivial. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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trivial
adjective
from Latin trivialis "found everywhere, commonplace, trivial," from trivium "a place where three roads meet," from tri- "three" and via "way"
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