frivolity

noun

fri·​vol·​i·​ty fri-ˈvä-lə-tē How to pronounce frivolity (audio)
plural frivolities
1
: the quality or state of being frivolous
He has no patience for frivolity.
2
: a frivolous act or thing
He spends money on the latest fashions and other frivolities.

Example Sentences

He has no patience for frivolity. He spends money on the latest fashions and other frivolities.
Recent Examples on the Web There are many in Britain who balk at the lavish expense and general frivolity of the event, not least at a time when many ordinary families are struggling to make ends meet. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 5 May 2023 Both the actual runways and the collections that came down them were formal and pared-back, prioritizing earnestness over frivolity, and intentionality over apathy. José Criales-unzueta, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2023 As a look, the silhouette is a fashion equivalent of the power pose, though also a cliché, albeit one erring on the side of Robert Palmer fantasy rather than frivolity; one that treats the subject (women) like an object in a photograph. Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023 As in last summer's Thor: Love & Thunder, the frivolity clashes with the deadly serious grandstanding of the bad guy, an interdimensional megalomaniac named Kang the Conqueror. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 14 Feb. 2023 The Porsche—any Porsche—is no fun at all; Germans aren't much given to frivolity. Car and Driver, 27 Jan. 2023 Glamorous frivolity, exaggerated silhouettes and surreal takes on classics harking from the 1930s heyday of house founder Elsa Schiaparelli. Thomas Adamson, ajc, 23 Jan. 2023 As an actress now well-known for zingy one-liners and expansive anecdotes, Gilpin thrives on throwing herself under fire, criticizing both her laugh lines and the ludicrous frivolity of being an actor in a suffering universe. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 15 June 2022 If only briefly, talk about football pivoted from its inherent catastrophic risks to the frivolity of playoff possibilities. Jeré Longman, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frivolity.' 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

see frivolous

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frivolity was in 1764

Dictionary Entries Near frivolity

Cite this Entry

“Frivolity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frivolity. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

frivolity

noun
fri·​vol·​i·​ty friv-ˈäl-ət-ē How to pronounce frivolity (audio)
plural frivolities
1
: the quality or state of being frivolous
2
: a frivolous act or thing

More from Merriam-Webster on frivolity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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