trivial

adjective

ˈtri-vē-əl How to pronounce trivial (audio)
Definition of trivialnext
1
as in minor
lacking importance why spend so much time on trivial decisions, like whether the soda should be regular or diet?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slight
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trivial The trivial and the momentous can be connected; small deviations can set us on larger paths. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 But resorting to litigation rather than negotiating a settlement to this trivial dispute could open a new source of pain. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 For an older defendant or someone dependent on several prescription medications, these are not trivial concerns. — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Tokenization of small prompts is a relatively trivial task and won’t tax even an entry-level CPU. — IEEE Spectrum, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trivial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trivial
  1. minor
  2. slight
  3. small
  4. nominal
  5. little
  6. petty
  7. unimportant
  8. insignificant
Adjective
  • Steppach, 49, was the owner of Tim’s Tavern on Edison Avenue, where people protested daily in December after Steppach pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
    — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The anger fueled the rise of Sanseito, a minor right-wing party that rallied against immigrants in recent elections, putting pressure on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party government.
    — Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • The delicate shape still nods to classic ballet flats, but the slight heel gives everything a little more polish, making the pairing feel less Sunday lunch with your nan and more Copenhagen Fashion Week.
    — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Early pothole testing actually caused a slight structural bend in a rear swingarm.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • That’s a dangerous prospect for any country, but especially for Singapore, crammed into a space smaller than New York City.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But after home brewers were able to show the appeal of hoppy IPAs, malty stouts and citrusy wheat ales, that eventually led to a boom in small breweries.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The creditor will still have to fork over hard cash to pay for the costs of the auction (which is usually nominal) as well as to compensate the debtor for any exemption value of that asset.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In the original lawsuit, Hanaway only sought $1 in nominal damages for the state, Cacioppo and his business, Industrial Salvage and Wrecking.
    — Jack Harvel August 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Elsewhere, Hailey Bieber gave us a lesson in polished wedding guest glam, while Joey King played with the little details on the Practical Magic 2 promo tour.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Bohm cited a 2020 crash that killed 20-year-old driver Ezekial Bishop and his passenger, 18-year-old Ryan Breaux, recording artist Frank Ocean's little brother.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • But armed officers dressed in camouflage alongside military vehicles have apparently not acted as enough of a deterrent to petty criminals.
    — Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The jury found both Morrow and Stanley guilty of petty misdemeanor charges of obstructing federal property, disrupting government officials’ duties and failing to comply with officials’ orders.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • The Analyst can spend all their time answering urgent but unimportant requests.
    — Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Wright agrees that the findings shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that omega-3s are unimportant for the brain.
    — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 14 July 2026
Definition of unimportant
Adjective
  • Suddenly, what seemed like an insignificant expense becomes an operational cost that deserves the same scrutiny as cloud infrastructure, software subscriptions or energy consumption.
    — Tiffany Chang, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The inciting incident behind the murder of one of the greatest rappers of all time very well might have been triggered by an ostensibly insignificant brawl at a mall Foot Locker.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of insignificant

Browse Nearby Words

trivia
trivial
trivialities
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Cite this Entry

“Trivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trivial. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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