trivia

noun

triv·​ia ˈtri-vē-ə How to pronounce trivia (audio)
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
1
a
: unimportant matters : trivial facts or details
But all this is trivia. Feshbach's basic concerns run deeper.Cullen Murphy
b
: facts (as about people or events) that are not well-known
celebrity trivia
What follows is a small glossary of golf slang and trivia to help you talk as good a game as you play …Rachel Urquhart
often used before another noun
a trivia book
trivia buffs
2
singular in construction : a quizzing game involving obscure facts
often used before another noun
trivia night

Examples of trivia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web My previous response was an attempt to provide a creative and fictionalized piece of trivia about Lincoln to add an interesting twist to the description. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 This is just a taste of the daily trivia challenges Lil Snack has to offer, so feel free to head over and check out the full list on their site. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trivia 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trivia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, back-formation from Latin trivialis

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of trivia was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near trivia

Cite this Entry

“Trivia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trivia. Accessed 4 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

trivia

noun singular or plural
triv·​ia ˈtriv-ē-ə How to pronounce trivia (audio)
: unimportant matters

More from Merriam-Webster on trivia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!