trivial

adjective triv·i·al \ ˈtri-vē-əl \

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

—

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

Although those kinds of messages can sometimes get lost or seem trivial, players appear to be holding onto them.

— laken litman, Indianapolis Star, "Brian Kelly on this year's team: 'You stick to a plan'," 9 Aug. 2017
That material savings was probably trivial in a project of this size, but the decision has made these gurgling creeks and ancient black spruce part of the quietest landscape so far along the 800-mile route.

— ned rozell, Alaska Dispatch News, "In the place where the trans-Alaska pipeline runs farthest from roads, quiet reigns," 22 July 2017
Even the occasional need to slam home second gear in the middle of a slide is trivial with this transmission.

— josh jacquot, Car and Driver, "2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS," 19 July 2017
And the non-economic benefits are hardly trivial, either.

— The Economist, "If borders were openA world of free movement would be $78 trillion richer," 13 July 2017
There have been months—nearly an entire goddamn year—of conjecture based on things as trivial as what Emilia Clarke was wearing while filming a CGI dragon scene.

— matt miller, Esquire, "A Game of Thrones Costume Designer Just Leaked the First Legitimate Season Seven Spoiler," 11 July 2017
For airlines, which deal in volume, that $5, or whatever trivial sum, times thousands of flights translates to millions of dollars.

— cnt editors, CNT, "Should Airlines Start Charging You to Recline Your Seat?," 5 July 2017
The entire political establishment howls in outrage because this is both weird enough and trivial enough to become a Thing.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Our Government Now Lies Somewhere Between Beverly Hillbillies and Game of Thrones," 30 June 2017
A few other trivial-seeming yet helpful iOS 11 enhancements include the Slide Over sidebar, which can now be moved to the left or right on the iPad's display instead of being locked to one side.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "iOS 11 Gives the iPad a Much-Needed Speed Boost," 26 June 2017

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.