trivia
nounCA, UK, US /ˈtɹɪvi.ə/
Etymology PIE word *tréyes Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tréyes Proto-Indo-European *tri- Proto-Italic *tri- Latin tri- Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- Proto-Italic *wiā Latin via Latin -ius Latin trivius Latin trivia English trivia From Latin trivia, plural of trivium (“place where three roads meet”). The term came to be used for any public place, and then for anything commonplace. Furthermore, because the beginners' course at university was called trivium, the word came to be used only for anything basic, simple and trivial.
1
Insignificant trifles of little importance, especially items of unimportant information.
- These trivia take up too much of the day.
- This trivia takes up too much of the day.
1 more example
- There is the story of the famous Hollywood glamour photographer who cooled his heels around Washington for three months while waiting for one of our leading commanders, and then was granted exactly 15 minutes for the sitting. […] Our military leaders simply don't have time for such trivia. Thank God!1943 December 23, Herbert L. Bregstein, “The Armored Force and the Camera”, in Popular Photography, volume 13, number 6, page 77:
2
A quiz game that involves obscure facts.
- I joined the trivia club this semester!
- Derived terms
- administrivia, triviaholic, triviaphile
- Related terms
- trivial, triviality, trivialize