What does frivolous mean?
Frivolous describes things that lack serious purpose, value, or merit — activities, remarks, or expenditures concerned with trivia rather than what matters. A frivolous purchase might be an impulse buy nobody needs; a frivolous remark treats a weighty subject with inappropriate lightness. The word carries a negative connotation when aimed at conduct, implying shallowness or poor judgment, though in casual use it can gently characterize harmless indulgence or fun. It has particular force in law, where a frivolous lawsuit or motion is one so groundless that courts may dismiss it outright or even sanction the person who filed it. Deriving from the early-seventeenth-century borrowing of the Latin-derived Old French word frivole, it belongs to a small family including frivolity, frivolously, and frivolousness. Knowing frivolous helps you draw a sharp line between the trivial and the truly consequential.
adjectiveNot having any serious purpose or value; lacking in seriousness or good sense. In law, it describes a claim or action so without merit that it does not warrant serious consideration.
- Lacking serious purpose, value, or merit; given to trifling concerns rather than important matters.
- (Legal) Of a claim, suit, or argument so devoid of merit as to be unworthy of serious consideration by a court.
"The court dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous, finding no factual basis for the claim."
"She dismissed the gossip as frivolous chatter unworthy of her attention."
"The judge sanctioned the attorney for bringing yet another frivolous motion."
In US courts, filing a 'frivolous' lawsuit isn't just embarrassing — judges can sanction lawyers for it under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frivolous
Frivolous entered English in the early seventeenth century, borrowed from Old French 'frivole', which derived from Latin 'frivulus' (also written 'frivolus'), a word meaning trifling or worthless. The precise derivation of the Latin term within Roman usage is debated among scholars, but it was long associated with 'follis', the bellows or windbag, giving the sense of empty, insubstantial talk. Its Romance cognates persist today in French 'frivole', Italian 'frivolo', and Spanish 'frívolo'.
Related word forms
How frivolous is actually used
Frivolous carries a distinctly negative connotation when applied to people's conduct, suggesting shallowness or misplaced priorities; in everyday speech it can also be used more lightly to describe harmless fun or indulgence. The term 'frivolous lawsuit' is especially prominent in American political and legal discourse. The adjective typically modifies actions, claims, purchases, or pursuits rather than standing alone.
Easily confused with frivolous
Frivolous is an adjective describing something lacking seriousness, while frivolity is the corresponding noun denoting the quality or instance of lightheartedness itself.