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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

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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 Most of these alterations are trivial, although one major change, coming near the end, is a very bad idea. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 If Vance were to renounce Carlson over a matter as trivial as, say, Carlson’s oddly positive assessment of Adolf Hitler, what hope is there for society? — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026 Getting that apparently trivial behavior working involved Home Assistant, MQTT, custom software, and more Claude, Codex and ChatGPT tokens than one should reasonably associate with boiling pasta. — New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026 The differences—native language, religious and cultural background—seemed trivial. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 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
  • But there’s no reason for alarm; none of the pitchers drafted by the Marlins in July were used in a minor-league game.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The front camera uses a 135-degree field of view, which introduces minor edge distortion, but that's the price for capturing a broad swath of the road ahead.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • Concerns about this recent deceleration aside, a slight quarter-to-quarter boost is obviously preferable to the bundle’s comparable loss of 953,000 customers between the first and second quarters of this year.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • There’s only a slight chance for thunderstorms over the weekend and the sun icon, missing for days and days, now shines on its main webpage.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • Book the white, cream, and silver Diaghilev suite, which has double doors that open onto a small balcony with the bay of Positano at your feet.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, excess testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes the hair follicles to become smaller and then the hair strands to become thinner.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • Patients in Medicaid, the state- and federally-funded program for people with low incomes, already pay a nominal co-payment of a few dollars to fill their prescriptions, but lower prices could help state budgets that fund the programs.
    — Fatima Hussein, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But recent wars have exposed the gap between nominal power and usable military capability.
    — NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Check-in and check-out are swift, valet has relatively little wait time, and the restaurant staff is accustomed to serving meals around performances at the Merrill Theater across the street.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2026
  • That might be a big casserole of stuffing, a batch of chocolate chip cookies, or any situation in which adding too little salt would be a hard deficit to overcome later on.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Now there seems to be a petty attempt to call out cheating when no cheating took place.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This year, alluding to the president’s petty penchant for renaming things, the town has changed its name from South Park to South America, altering the theme song, local signage and local speech, without protest.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • The Analyst can spend all their time answering urgent but unimportant requests.
    — Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of unimportant
Adjective
  • During the Eaton fire, the laboratory shut down for two weeks — which is not insignificant for a lab that tracks hold-ups in days.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Sports can seem ridiculously insignificant at moments like that.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of insignificant

Browse Nearby Words

trivia
trivial
trivialities
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Cite this Entry

“Trivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trivial. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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