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" (quod vide).
- 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.
- A quiz game that involves obscure facts.
- I joined the trivia club this semester!
- Formerly, as word derived from a Latin plural, trivia required a plural verb, as in the first usage example above. Most modern authorities accept a singular verb, and this may be the preferred usage in the US. The game (2) is always regarded as a singular noun.
- plural of
- nominative feminine singular of
- nominative neuter plural of
- accusative neuter plural of
- vocative feminine singular of
- vocative neuter plural of
trivia f (plural trivias)