Trivial — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈtri-vē-əl/ triv·i·al

Meaning & Definition of Trivial

Trivial (adjective)

  1. of little worth or importance
  2. relating to or being the mathematically simplest case; specifically, characterized by having all variables equal to zero
  3. commonplace, ordinary

Trivial (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking importance

    "why spend so much time on trivial decisions, like whether the soda should be regular or diet?"

    similar: fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, unimportant, neither here nor there
    related: jerkwater, one-horse, nickel-and-dime, paltry, petty, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown
    opposite: big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty
    near: decisive, fatal, fateful, chief, dominant, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, principal, distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, valuable, worthwhile, worthy, distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, preeminent, prestigious, famous, notorious, renowned, all-important, basic, essential, fundamental, key

  2. 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"

    similar: chicken, de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, negligible, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling
    related: inferior, mean, imperceptible, inappreciable, little, puny, tiny, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling, one-horse, small-fry, two-bit
    opposite: big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant
    near: serious, substantial, weighty, eventful, momentous, pivotal, conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking, appreciable, discernible, measurable

Related Entry: Trivial name (noun)

Trivial name is a different word from Trivial. The synonyms below are for trivial name, not for trivial.

  1. as in vernacular

    similar: vernacular, binomial, monomial, misnomer, alias, cryptonym, nom de guerre, nom de plume, pen name, pseudonym, brand name, label, trademark, trade name, banner, rubric, tag, byname, diminutive, epithet, hypocorism, nickname, sobriquet, matronymic, patronymic, family name, maiden name, middle name, surname, baptismal name, Christian name, first name, forename, given name

Related Entry: Trivial names (noun)

Trivial names is a different word from Trivial. The synonyms below are for trivial names, not for trivial.

  1. as in vernaculars

    similar: vernaculars, binomials, monomials, misnomers, aliases, cryptonyms, noms de guerre, noms de plume, pen names, pseudonyms, brand names, labels, trademarks, trade names, banners, rubrics, tags, bynames, diminutives, epithets, hypocorisms, nicknames, sobriquets, matronymics, patronymics, family names, maiden names, middle names, surnames, baptismal names, Christian names, first names, forenames, given names

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Trivial

The most common words with a similar meaning to Trivial:

fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, unimportant, chicken, de minimis, footling, measly, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, neither here nor there

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Trivial

Words with the opposite meaning of Trivial:

big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty, considerable

Related Words for Trivial

jerkwater, one-horse, nickel-and-dime, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown, inferior, mean, imperceptible, inappreciable, puny, tiny, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling, two-bit

Near Antonyms of Trivial

decisive, fatal, fateful, chief, dominant, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, principal, distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, valuable, worthwhile, worthy, distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, preeminent, prestigious, famous, notorious, renowned, all-important, basic, essential

Word Forms of Trivial

Derived words: trivialist (noun), trivially (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Trivial

Latin trivialis found everywhere, commonplace, from trivium crossroads, from tri- + via way way

First known use: 1589

Words & Phrases Containing Trivial

trivial name

Frequently Asked Questions about Trivial

What does "Trivial" mean?

"Trivial" means of little worth or importance. As an adjective, it is defined as: of little worth or importance. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Trivial"?

Other words for "Trivial" include fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant and little. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Trivial" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Trivial"?

There are 55 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Trivial". Common alternatives include fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse and minor.

What is the opposite of "Trivial"?

Antonyms of "Trivial" include big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful and momentous. Near antonyms include decisive, fatal, fateful and chief.

How do you use "Trivial" in a sentence?

Examples of "Trivial" in a sentence: "why spend so much time on trivial decisions, like whether the soda should be regular or diet?"; "figured that restaurant customers wouldn't notice such a trivial surcharge on their bill".

Is "Trivial" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Trivial" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Trivial"?

"Trivial" is pronounced /ˈtri-vē-əl/ and divided into syllables as triv·i·al.

What is the origin of the word "Trivial"?

"Trivial" comes from Latin trivialis found everywhere, commonplace, from trivium crossroads, from tri- + via way way. First known use: 1589.