trivial

adjective triv·i·al \ ˈtri-vē-əl \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 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 \ˈtri-vē-ə-list\ noun

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trivially

play \ˈtri-vē-ə-lē\ adverb

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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

The balance regarding what is viewed as trivial and significant, unpersuasive and persuasive, and permissible and impermissible has shifted radically.

— paula marantz cohen, WSJ, "It’s the Era of Feelings, and Not Necessarily Good Ones," 4 May 2018
And, though challenge coins seem relatively trivial, the shift has caused headaches for the Trump White House.

— New York Times, "Trump Leaves His Mark on a Presidential Keepsake," 24 June 2018
An ample reward—something trivial amounts to exploitation.

— amy dockser marcus, WSJ, "How to Provide Better Incentives to Organ Donors," 24 June 2018
Missing a game will seem devastating now but will just as surely soon seem pretty trivial, as anyone who played high school sports can attest.

— nestor ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "Yes, suspending the Saugus athletes was dumb. But there’s something tone deaf about all this," 6 June 2018
For, setting aside the usual requirements of politics, and the usual ways that politics keeps score, the things that normally divide us seem trivial compared to the trials that have now been visited upon our democracy.

— katie reilly, Time, "Read Jeff Flake's Commencement Speech on the Rule of Law and Trump: 'We May Have Hit Bottom'," 23 May 2018
At a time when there are serious issues before Congress, ranging from the effect of Russia intervention in American elections to the government’s $20 trillion national debt, Gosar’s primary address can seem like a trivial matter.

— ronald j. hansen, azcentral, "Rep. Paul Gosar takes a tax break on his 'primary' residence. It's not in his district," 22 May 2018
Convincing Pfizer to roll back its price hikes isn’t trivial.

— erin mershon, STAT, "What Pfizer, Trump, and consumers got out of a surprising deal — and what they didn’t," 11 July 2018
Musburger says traditional sports TV and radio programming leans too heavily on debate, often loud, trivial and forgettable.

— rick maese, chicagotribune.com, "A safe bet: Legal gambling could change the way we watch, talk and experience sports," 5 July 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.