What does trivial mean?
Trivial means having little importance, value, or consequence. It is commonly used for details, differences, complaints, or problems that can safely be ignored because they do not affect the main outcome. Saying that something is trivial can be merely descriptive, but it can also imply that the subject deserves little attention or respect. In mathematics and logic, the word has a more specialized sense: a trivial problem or result is one that follows easily from basic ideas. The word comes from Latin trivialis, meaning common or ordinary, and originally conveyed the idea of something everyday and publicly accessible. Over time, its meaning developed toward something insignificant. Trivial is therefore useful when distinguishing minor details from genuinely important issues, though a considerate speaker may avoid it when dismissing a concern that matters to someone else.
adjectiveOf little value, importance, or significance; easily dismissed as unimportant. In mathematics and logic, describing a problem or result as trivial means that it is straightforward or follows immediately from basic principles.
- Of little value, importance, or significance.
- Requiring little effort, thought, or difficulty; especially in mathematics or logic.
"The disagreement over the wording of a minor clause proved to be entirely trivial."
"Let us not waste time arguing about a trivial distinction."
"The proof may look intimidating, but the underlying idea is trivial."
Trivial once meant ordinary and public; today it means so unimportant that it can be dismissed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does trivial come from?
Trivial derives from Latin trivialis, meaning common, ordinary, or insignificant. That adjective was associated with the trivium, a public crossroads or three-way junction, and Latin trivium itself is traditionally related to tres, three, and via, road. The English word developed from the older sense of what was ordinary or publicly accessible into its modern sense of what is unimportant or easy to dismiss. Its relatives include triviality and trivialize, both formed from the same Latin foundation.
Related word forms
How trivial is actually used
The word is neutral when describing the low importance of something, but it can sound dismissive when used to dismiss another person's concern. In technical writing, especially in mathematics, it means straightforward rather than socially insignificant.
Easily confused with trivial
A trifle is a noun naming a small or insignificant matter, whereas trivial is an adjective describing something as having little importance.