Word
trivial
Phoneticstriv·ial
US/ˈtɹɪviəɫ/
UK/tɹˈɪvɪəl/
Definitions
01unimportant
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not important or not worth worrying about.
adj. of little value or importance; insignificant in the context of a larger discussion or problem.
“They argued over a trivial mistake that didn't really change the final result.”
“The committee spent hours debating trivial details of the budget while ignoring the massive deficit in the primary accounts.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02easy to solve
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. very easy to do or understand.
adj. so easy or obvious that it requires little thought to resolve.
“For an expert like him, fixing the computer was a trivial task.”
“The solution to the first puzzle was trivial, but the subsequent challenges required advanced lateral thinking skills.”
03mathematical simplicity
C1 · Advanced Mathematics Technical
adj. describing a very simple case, like the number zero, that is always true but not very interesting.
adj. relating to the simplest possible case of a mathematical structure, such as a solution where all variables are zero.
“The equation has a trivial solution where x equals zero.”
“While the trivial solution is mathematically valid, the researchers were interested in finding non-zero values that satisfied the theorem.”
Usage
Often used to describe a solution that is technically correct but provides no useful information.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04biological naming
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
adj. relating to the specific name of a plant or animal species.
adj. designating the specific name of a species as opposed to its broader genus.
“In the name Homo sapiens, 'sapiens' is the trivial name.”
“The scientist noted that the trivial name of the specimen had been changed several times since its initial discovery in the nineteenth century.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“According to the CAC, both platforms failed to fulfill their core responsibility of content management, citing the frequent appearance of problematic entries on their main trending lists, particularly those hyping celebrity gossip and trivial personal updates.” “Call it trivial, but we still need to master the art of small talk” Etymology
PIE word *tréyes * From Latin triviālis (“appropriate to the street-corner, commonplace, vulgar”), from trivium (“place where three roads meet”). Compare trivium, trivia. * From the distinction between trivium (“the lower division of the liberal arts; grammar, logic and rhetoric”) and quadrivium (“the higher division of the seven liberal arts in the Middle Ages, composed of geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and music”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/trivial