trivia
See also: Trivia
English
Etymology 1
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).
Noun
trivia (countable and uncountable, plural trivia)
- 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!
Usage notes
- 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.
Derived terms
Translations
insignificant trifles of little importance
|
quiz — see quiz
Latin
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