Trivia means small, interesting facts, often about things that aren't very important, like the ones you find in a quiz.
What Does Trivia Mean?
Trivia is a collection of little facts. They are fun to know, but you don't usually need them for anything serious.
Did you know that a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus? That's a good piece of trivia.
Many people also say trivia for a quiz game or a quiz night: a trivia night, a trivia game.
🔊 Pronunciation
TRIV-ee-uh
The stress is on the first part: TRIV. The word has three parts: triv-ee-uh.
🗣️ Natural Examples
My brother loves trivia. He knows facts about everything.
Our school is holding a trivia quiz on Friday.
Here's a bit of trivia: an octopus has three hearts.
I'm not very good at sports trivia, but I know a lot about food.
It's just trivia. You don't need it for the test.
🛠️ How to Use It
Trivia is a group word. It's used for facts in general, not for one fact.
- For many facts: trivia. I like trivia.
- For one fact: a piece of trivia or a bit of trivia. That's an interesting piece of trivia.
- For the game: a trivia quiz, a trivia night, a trivia question.
- With a verb, you will see both trivia is and trivia are. Trivia is fun is the easier choice.
🤝 Common Word Partners
- a trivia quiz
- a trivia night
- a trivia question
- a piece of trivia
- sports trivia
- a trivia game
- a trivia fan
🌳 Word Family
- trivia (noun): little facts. I love space trivia.
- trivial (adjective): not important. It's a trivial problem, so don't worry.
- triviality (noun): something unimportant. Let's not argue over a triviality.
👯 Similar and Related Words
- fact: something that is true.
- fun fact: an interesting fact that people like to share.
- quiz: a game or test with questions.
- general knowledge: facts about many different subjects.
The difference: a fact is any true thing. Trivia is the small, fun kind.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Trivia is not usually counted.
❌ I know three trivias.
✅ I know three pieces of trivia.
Trivia or trivial?
❌ It's a trivia problem.
✅ It's a trivial problem.
Spelling.
❌ triva, trivea
✅ trivia
💬 In a Conversation
Sam: Want a piece of trivia?
Mia: Is it a good one?
Sam: A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.
Mia: That's brilliant.
Sam: Do you want another?
Mia: Yes. What do you call a group of owls?
Sam: A parliament.
Mia: I'd vote for that fact.
🕵️ Where Does It Come From?
Trivia comes from Latin. The Latin word trivium meant "a place where three roads meet". It is built from:
- tri-, which means "three"
- via, which means "road"
From it came the Latin word trivialis, "of the crossroads". Things said at a busy crossroads, the idea goes, were everyday talk, and so trivialis came to mean "common" and "ordinary". That is how English got trivial, meaning "not important".
The modern word trivia, for small facts, dates from the early 1900s. The idea of trivia as quiz questions became popular in the 1960s, and the board game Trivial Pursuit appeared in 1982.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Look at the start: tri. It means "three", as in triangle, tricycle and triple.
Trivia is "three roads": ordinary things, said where roads meet.