trivial

adjective

ˈtri-vē-əl How to pronounce trivial (audio)
Definition of trivialnext
1
as in minor
lacking importance why spend so much time on trivial decisions, like whether the soda should be regular or diet?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slight
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention figured that restaurant customers wouldn't notice such a trivial surcharge on their bill

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of trivial Why a minute matters Humphreys argued the time savings aren’t trivial, pointing to research tying ambulance response time to survival odds in the most severe cases. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 8 July 2026 In reality, the origin is completely trivial. — Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 These are not trivial concerns. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 June 2026 My polite reply to her email doesn't amount to anything more than a trivial note. — Daniel Ruetenik, CBS News, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for trivial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trivial
  1. minor
  2. slight
  3. small
  4. nominal
  5. little
  6. petty
  7. unimportant
  8. insignificant
Adjective
  • Alongside Sneed, Beasley, who sustained a minor lower-body injury late but remained in the game, finished with 16 points.
    — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • At the tag end of the episode, Bernthal and Holland are filming B-roll footage for the episode’s outro when Holland has a coughing fit that results in a minor case of puking.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 July 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • There were four outlandish, outcast characters, whom Goldberg utterly embodied with something as slight as the crossing of her eyes or the dragging of her leg.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
  • That total marks a slight increase in applications from the previous year, when the department reported receiving 52,529.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • The division charged with keeping a handle on parasitic diseases had already been small, with only a few employees designated to parasite work.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • When states lose the authority to set their own food safety and agricultural standards, consumers and small farmers pay the price.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • Current bond yields, which tend to track nominal GDP trends, are still reflecting the rise in inflation that occurred during Covid.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 20 July 2026
  • The walls had a nominal utility as fences for the dairy herd that was milked in the great white cow barn, but this was only ever a Gilded Age fantasy of the rustic idyll.
    — Matt Seaton, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Sheinbaum has said that little evidence has emerged to substantiate claims of cartels interfering with elections, and noted that a state-level electoral tribunal ratified Rocha’s win in Sinaloa, after examining reports of irregularities.
    — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Music, Fashion, Film wants little to do with 2024’s accessible dance-pop and persistent focus on branding.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Hegseth has already challenged that premise in ways both meaningful and petty, by circumventing the normal promotion process to push out officers far below him or to stall their advancements, and by firing senior officers set for even higher rank.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • But while Argentina was being petty and petulant, Spain was practically perfect in every way.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • Wright agrees that the findings shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that omega-3s are unimportant for the brain.
    — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 14 July 2026
  • But that’s unimportant, Kelleher says, because other market participants are reading them.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of unimportant
Adjective
  • Shop our eight favorite toilet paper holders below and spotlight the no-longer-insignificant design moment.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 20 July 2026
  • The weight penalty over the coupe is about 198 pounds, which is not insignificant, though the complex folding system can open and close the top in just 14 seconds at up to 30 mph.
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 15 July 2026
Definition of insignificant

Browse Nearby Words

trivia
trivial
trivialities
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Trivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trivial. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on trivial

Nglish: Translation of trivial for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All