trivia

See also: Trivia

English

Pronunciation

• (Canada, UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪvi.ə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪviə

Etymology 1

PIE word
*tréyes

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.

Noun

trivia (countable and uncountable, plural trivia or trivias)

1. Insignificant trifles of little importance, especially items of unimportant information; froth.

   These trivia take up too much of the day.

   This trivia takes up too much of the day.

   • 1943 December, Herbert L. Bregstein, “The Armored Force and the Camera”, in Popular Photography, volume 13, number 6, page 77:

     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!

2. A quiz game that involves obscure facts.

   I joined the trivia club this semester!

Usage notes

• Formerly, as a 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" sense is always regarded as a singular noun.

Derived terms

• administrivia
• triviaholic
• triviaphile

 

Related terms

• trivial
• triviality
• trivialize

 

Translations

insignificant trifles of little importance

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 冷知識／冷知识 (zh) (lěngzhīshí, lěngzhīshì)

• Dutch: trivia (nl)
• French: bagatelles (fr) f pl, fadaises (fr) f pl
• German: Trivia (de) n pl, Varia (de) n pl, Nichtigkeiten (de) f pl, Kleinigkeiten (de) f pl, Minuzien pl (obsolete)
• Hungarian: érdekesség (hu)
• Japanese: 豆知識 (ja) (まめちしき, mamechishiki)
• Kazakh: мелочи (meloçi)
• Kyrgyz: мелочи (meloci)
• Latvian: nieki m pl, sīkumi m pl
• Maori: kūrapa, kāmuimui
• Polish: ciekawostka (pl) f
• Russian: ме́лочи (ru) f pl (méloči), пустяки́ (ru) m pl (pustjakí)
• Swedish: bagateller (sv) c pl, småsaker (sv) c pl, struntsaker (sv) c pl
• Turkish: ıvır zıvır (tr)
• Ukrainian: дрібни́ці (dribnýci), ціка́винки (cikávynky)
• Vietnamese: thông tin bên lề
• Yiddish: טריוויע pl (trivye), נישטיקייטן pl (nishtikeytn)

quiz — see quiz

Etymology 2

Noun

trivia

1. plural of trivium

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin trivia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtriʋiɑ/, [ˈt̪riʋiɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -iʋiɑ
• Syllabification^(key): tri‧vi‧a

Noun

trivia

1. trivia

Declension

Inflection of trivia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		trivia	triviat
genitive		trivian	trivioiden trivioitten
partitive		triviaa	trivioita
illative		triviaan	trivioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		trivia	triviat
accusative	nom.	trivia	triviat
	gen.	trivian
genitive		trivian	trivioiden trivioitten triviain rare
partitive		triviaa	trivioita
inessive		triviassa	trivioissa
elative		triviasta	trivioista
illative		triviaan	trivioihin
adessive		trivialla	trivioilla
ablative		trivialta	trivioilta
allative		trivialle	trivioille
essive		triviana	trivioina
translative		triviaksi	trivioiksi
abessive		triviatta	trivioitta
instructive		—	trivioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of trivia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative triviani triviani accusative nom. triviani triviani gen. triviani genitive triviani trivioideni trivioitteni triviaini rare partitive triviaani trivioitani inessive triviassani trivioissani elative triviastani trivioistani illative triviaani trivioihini adessive triviallani trivioillani ablative trivialtani trivioiltani allative trivialleni trivioilleni essive trivianani trivioinani translative triviakseni trivioikseni abessive triviattani trivioittani instructive — — comitative — trivioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative triviasi triviasi accusative nom. triviasi triviasi gen. triviasi genitive triviasi trivioidesi trivioittesi triviaisi rare partitive triviaasi trivioitasi inessive triviassasi trivioissasi elative triviastasi trivioistasi illative triviaasi trivioihisi adessive triviallasi trivioillasi ablative trivialtasi trivioiltasi allative triviallesi trivioillesi essive trivianasi trivioinasi translative triviaksesi trivioiksesi abessive triviattasi trivioittasi instructive — — comitative — trivioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative triviamme triviamme accusative nom. triviamme triviamme gen. triviamme genitive triviamme trivioidemme trivioittemme triviaimme rare partitive triviaamme trivioitamme inessive triviassamme trivioissamme elative triviastamme trivioistamme illative triviaamme trivioihimme adessive triviallamme trivioillamme ablative trivialtamme trivioiltamme allative triviallemme trivioillemme essive trivianamme trivioinamme translative triviaksemme trivioiksemme abessive triviattamme trivioittamme instructive — — comitative — trivioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative trivianne trivianne accusative nom. trivianne trivianne gen. trivianne genitive trivianne trivioidenne trivioittenne triviainne rare partitive triviaanne trivioitanne inessive triviassanne trivioissanne elative triviastanne trivioistanne illative triviaanne trivioihinne adessive triviallanne trivioillanne ablative trivialtanne trivioiltanne allative triviallenne trivioillenne essive triviananne trivioinanne translative triviaksenne trivioiksenne abessive triviattanne trivioittanne instructive — — comitative — trivioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative triviansa triviansa accusative nom. triviansa triviansa gen. triviansa genitive triviansa trivioidensa trivioittensa triviainsa rare partitive triviaansa trivioitaan trivioitansa inessive triviassaan triviassansa trivioissaan trivioissansa elative triviastaan triviastansa trivioistaan trivioistansa illative triviaansa trivioihinsa adessive triviallaan triviallansa trivioillaan trivioillansa ablative trivialtaan trivialtansa trivioiltaan trivioiltansa allative trivialleen triviallensa trivioilleen trivioillensa essive trivianaan trivianansa trivioinaan trivioinansa translative triviakseen triviaksensa trivioikseen trivioiksensa abessive triviattaan triviattansa trivioittaan trivioittansa instructive — — comitative — trivioineen trivioinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• triviatieto

 

Further reading

• “trivia”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Latin

Noun

trivia

1. nominative/accusative/vocative plural of trivium

Adjective

trivia

1. inflection of trivius:
   1. nominative/vocative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter plural

Adjective

triviā

1. ablative feminine singular of trivius

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɾibja/ [ˈt̪ɾi.β̞ja]
• Rhymes: -ibja
• Syllabification: tri‧via

Noun

trivia f (plural trivias)

1. trivia