trivial

adjective triv·i·al \ ˈtri-vē-əl \

|Updated on: 17 Jul 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

—

trivialist

play \ˈtri-vē-ə-list\ noun

—

trivially

play \ˈtri-vē-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

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
In this light, criticism of body hair is not trivial or minor.

— heather widdows, Time, "Body Hair Is Natural. Society Thinking Otherwise Is Dangerous," 13 June 2018
Tip 3: Empty it first This may seem very trivial and goofy but Laird says it's something all good party hosts know.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Throw the best Kentucky Derby party with tips from the guy who knows - 'America's CEO' Tim Laird," 5 Apr. 2018
Still, experts say the Trump administration’s contributions to the issue are not trivial.

— hallie detrick, Fortune, "International Student Visas Are Way Down Under Trump. Here's Why U.S. Colleges Should Be Scared," 12 Mar. 2018
The burden of carrying a full-frame digital camera seem trivial.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Photography isn’t hunting, but it brings its own rewards in Alaska’s outdoors," 27 June 2018
The job of the public markets is to sort through the noise, separating the meaningful from the trivial.

— tom hudson, miamiherald, "Back to the fundamentals," 13 Apr. 2018
More: Pentagon bases about 28,000 U.S. troops in South Korea The paperwork for ending a war that hasn't been fought since 1953 may seem trivial when compared to the present day threat of nuclear weapons.

— david jackson, USA TODAY, "Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un: Still fighting the Korean War," 5 June 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.