1
: not trivial : significant, important
a small but nontrivial amount
… engineering a power plant around the technology is a nontrivial problem.—John Fleck
2
mathematics : having the value of at least one variable or term not equal to zero
a nontrivial solution

Examples of nontrivial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a piece on Mothra, The New York Times warned there was a nontrivial risk of going home with Gene Simmons. — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 Of that pool, a small but nontrivial number are already medically ineligible under current Department of Defense accession standards. — Robert Krasner, STAT, 1 June 2026 Still, the scale of available energy is nontrivial. — Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 These included nontrivial conflicts with friends and family, sleep disruptions, lost tempers and being unable to mentally or emotionally disengage from politics. — Stephen Neely, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nontrivial

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of nontrivial was in 1901

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nontrivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nontrivial. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster