trivial Hear it!

trivial Definition

triv·ial (triv′ē əl)

adjective

  1. of little or no importance; insignificant; trifling
  2. Rare commonplace

Etymology: L trivialis, of the crossroads, hence commonplace < trivium, place where three roads meet < tri-, tri- + via, road: see via

trivial Related Forms

triv′i·al·ism′ noun triv′i·ally adverb

trivial Synonyms

trivial

modif.

petty, trifling, small, superficial, piddling, wee, little, insignificant, frivolous, irrelevant, unimportant, nugatory, skin-deep, meaningless, mean, diminutive, slight, of no account, scanty, meager, inappreciable, microscopic, atomic, dribbling, nonessential, flimsy, inconsiderable, evanescent, vanishing, momentary, immaterial, indifferent, beside the point, minute, unessential, paltry, inferior, minor, small-minded, beggarly, useless, inconsequential, picayune, worthless, scurvy, mangy, trashy, pitiful, of little moment, dinky*, small-town*, rinky-dink*, two-bit*, nickle-and-dime*, piffling*, cutting no ice*, cut and dried*; see also shallow 2.

Antonyms important*, great*, serious*.

trivial Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • pursuit: They try to confine our imaginations to trivial pursuits without danger to their rule.
  • topology: However, solutions like black holes, have a Euclidean geometry with non trivial topology.
  • task: Selecting a cord blood bank is not a trivial task.
  • matter: A tenant has no right to withhold rent for trivial matters of repair.
  • offense: In this position he reduced the number of trivial offenses for which capital punishment was the sentence.
  • undertaking: This is not a trivial undertaking, it is a major part of the PhD study.

Modifying Another Word

  • seemingly: Only in such a situation do seemingly trivial problems arise that in reality may determine the success or failure of a system.
  • comparatively: Works requiring faculties vary from the comparatively trivial to the major.
  • relatively: Please do not expect them to deal with relatively trivial matters which could or should be sorted out by your son or daughter.
  • however: Do not hesitate, however trivial you may consider the request.
  • apparently: On such occasions some apparently trivial act would put me on my guard.
  • utterly: However, it emphasized that although the final straw may be relatively insignificant, it must not be utterly trivial.

Infinitive complement

implement: This is trivial to implement, but not suited to fine control.

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: Some books on being a witch seem trivial, more about fashion than faith, slightly dubious.
  • appear: The antiseptic was so strong that tho one part in 25,000 might appear trivial there had been prosecutions for one in 100,000.
  • consider: A side effect doctors may consider trivial might be totally unacceptable to a patient.
  • regard: All details will be recorded and no incident will be regarded as trivial.
  • sound: Not speaking big names sounds pretty trivial to me.

Preposition: in

comparison: Things that were once so important now seem trivial in comparison.

Preposition: by

comparison: The scope and impact of arbitrary penalties would make speed cameras trivial by comparison.