trivial

adjective triv·i·al \ ˈtri-vē-əl \

Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of trivial

1 a : of little worth or importance

a trivial objection

trivial problems

b : relating to or being the mathematically simplest case; specifically : characterized by having all variables equal to zero

a trivial solution to a linear equation

2 : commonplace, ordinary

3 : specific 4

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trivialist

play \-ə-list\ noun

—

trivially

play \-ə-lē\ adverb

See trivial defined for English-language learners

See trivial defined for kids

Examples of trivial in a Sentence

His later memory, untutored and unsupported by anything so trivial as evidence or documents, now flourished and ran wild. —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.

Recent Examples of trivial from the Web

Women’s stories get treated as one of Wallace’s trademark footnotes might be: decorative, dexterous, whimsical, trivial.

— megan garber, The Atlantic, "The World Still Spins Around Male Genius," 9 May 2018
Records from numerous universities show that even obviously silly or trivial incidents are taken seriously by Bias Response Teams.

— jillian kay melchior, WSJ, "The Bias Response Team Is Watching," 8 May 2018
What good were low prices, competitors said, if the rocket had a non-trivial chance of blowing up, and customers had to wait years to get into space?

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "Block 5 rocket launch marks the end of the beginning for SpaceX," 3 May 2018
At the moment, the terms of the bargain look attractive, and the complaints trivial.

— a. o. scott and manohla dargis, New York Times, "Dear Movie Industry, We Have Thoughts," 2 May 2018
Delightful objets d’art with seemingly impossible structures are fun but trivial.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Your Next Home Could Be 3D-Printed," 23 Apr. 2018
For a moment, don’t dismiss it as trivial or creepy.

— Longreads, "The Ladies Who Were Famous for Wanting to Be Left Alone," 17 Apr. 2018
Williams, godmother to the girl’s mother, was clearly exasperated over how something so trivial as bickering on Facebook could turn so tragic.

— holly v. hays, Indianapolis Star, "'Killing is not the answer,' family friend of slain 1-year-old says," 29 Mar. 2018
Data seemingly as trivial as what sneakers or candy bars you like helped develop profiles of the persuadable.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "How your Facebook 'likes' helped Trump steal the 2016 election | Will Bunch," 18 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trivial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 some part of a proof or definition that's extremely simple and needn't be explained, but the rest of us tend to use it just to mean "unimportant". "Small talk" at a party, for example, is usually trivial conversation, though a trivial excuse for not going on a date ("I have to wash my hair") might hide an emotion that isn't so trivial ("I can't stand the sight of you"). To trivialize something is to treat it as if it didn't matter, as if it were just another triviality.