trivia

noun

triv·​ia ˈtri-vē-ə How to pronounce trivia (audio)
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
1
a
: unimportant matters : trivial facts or details
But all this is trivia. Feshbach's basic concerns run deeper.Cullen Murphy
b
: facts (as about people or events) that are not well-known
celebrity trivia
What follows is a small glossary of golf slang and trivia to help you talk as good a game as you play …Rachel Urquhart
often used before another noun
a trivia book
trivia buffs
2
singular in construction : a quizzing game involving obscure facts
often used before another noun
trivia night

Examples of trivia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is just a taste of the daily trivia challenges Lil Snack has to offer, so feel free to head over and check out the full list on their site. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2024 Mark Consuelos lit the Live audience's fuse during a hilariously shady round of the fan-favorite Stump Mark trivia game with a firefighter, after the in-studio crowd turned on the actor and booed him on the air. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Hold a costume contest, award the best (or worst) karaoke singer or give your Grammy trivia game something for participants to strive for. Bradley Geiser, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2024 Each year’s Academy Award nominations arrive with an array of notable firsts and other cool factoids that speed the hearts of Oscar lovers and movie trivia fans everywhere. Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 The box contains 24 cards with Christmas movies to watch, along with a bit of trivia on each film. Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2023 Our only advice is brush up on your local Swedish hockey trivia (a hot topic here). Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2024 Former Sundance director John Cooper will also host the 40th edition trivia night, a joyful trek down memory lane for festival attendees and followers. Nick Clement, Variety, 16 Jan. 2024 The jury will return not only to judge the films in competition but also partake in programming events, such as talks, panels and a special 40th edition trivia night. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trivia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, back-formation from Latin trivialis

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of trivia was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near trivia

Cite this Entry

“Trivia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trivia. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trivia

noun singular or plural
triv·​ia ˈtriv-ē-ə How to pronounce trivia (audio)
: unimportant matters

More from Merriam-Webster on trivia

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