ENGLISH
REFERENCE

trivia

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈtɹɪviə// UK //tɹˈɪviɐ// triv·ia

n. small, unimportant facts or details that are often fun to know. You often see this word used for games or quizzes where people answer questions about pop culture or history.

n. details, considerations, or pieces of information of little importance or value. In modern usage, it frequently refers to a collection of obscure facts used for entertainment or competitive quizzes.


SIMPLE

We spent the evening playing movie trivia.

CONTEXTUAL

The book is full of fascinating trivia about the history of the city's subway system.

COMPLEX

While the professor was a brilliant researcher, his lectures were often criticized for focusing on historical trivia rather than the fundamental theories of the discipline.

Synonyms
Origin

PIE word *tréyes From Latin trivia, plural of trivium (“place where three roads meet”). The term came to be used for any public place, and then for anything commonplace. Furthermore, because the beginners' course at university was called trivium, the word came to be used only for anything basic, simple and trivial.

Usage

Plural in form but treated as uncountable; it takes a singular verb.

Pitfall

These trivias are interestingThis trivia is interestingTrivia is an uncountable noun and does not have a plural form.

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