I. ˈtrivēəl adjective
Etymology: in sense 1, from Middle English, from Medieval Latin trivialis, from trivium + Latin -alis -al; in other senses, from Latin trivialis that may be found everywhere, common, ordinary, trivial, from trivium crossroads, place where three roads meet, from tri- + via way, road — more at via
1. : of or belonging to the trivium
2. : common , ordinary , commonplace
the trivial round, the common task — John Keble
trivial pyrite — A.M.Bateman
— see trivial name 2,3
3.
a. : of little worth or importance : insignificant , flimsy , minor , slight
trivial objections
trivial inconveniences
where a painter discards many trivial points of exactness — C.E.Montague
a trivial act of will — Allen Tate
the capital as well as the trivial sins — Henry Miller
wages from both jobs were trivial , but he also got tips — Leonard Berry
b. : concerned with trivialities
a trivial young woman — Sinclair Lewis
dissertation need not be dull or trivial — J.M.England
a trivial and badly ordered mind — John Dewey
4. : specific
the species of Quercus are notoriously variable in trivial characters — C.H.Muller
— see trivial name 1
Synonyms: see petty
II. adjective
: relating to or being the mathematically simplest case ; specifically : characterized by having all variables equal to zero