Nontrivial
/ˌnɑnˈtrɪviəl/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Nontrivial describes something that is not simple or easy to do or understand. It often means the problem or idea needs real attention, skill, or effort to solve or explain. It is the opposite of trivial, which means very simple or unimportant.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Describing problems or tasks that require effort and are not simple
- •The math problem was nontrivial and took hours to solve.
- •Designing the new software feature was a nontrivial task.
- •Understanding this concept is nontrivial for beginners.
Indicating something important or meaningful, not small or insignificant
- •The discovery had nontrivial effects on the scientific community.
- •There is a nontrivial difference between the two methods.
- •The risks involved are nontrivial and should be carefully considered.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "nontrivial" like "hard," but it also means important or meaningful, not just difficult
- ✓Picture a puzzle that you cannot solve quickly—it needs time and thinking
- ✓It's the feeling when you face a problem that makes you stop and think carefully, not just a small or easy question
- ✓Sounds like "non-TRIV-ee-uhl" → imagine saying "not trivial" quickly, meaning "not small or simple"
- ✓Imagine a teacher giving you homework that is not just easy practice but something that really tests your skills
- ✓NOT like "easy" or "simple" (which are trivial), nontrivial means the task or idea has real value and challenge
- ✓NOT like "complex" only (which means very complicated), nontrivial can be moderately difficult but important
- ✓NOT like "unimportant" or "small," nontrivial means it matters and needs attention
Try Other Words
- •Significant: meaning important or large enough to notice (Use when you want to stress importance more than difficulty)
- •Challenging: meaning difficult to do (Use when you want to focus on difficulty rather than importance)
- •Meaningful: meaning having value or purpose (Use when you want to stress the value or impact)
- •Complex: meaning made of many parts and not easy to understand (Use when the difficulty is because of many parts or details)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "non-" (not) + "trivial" (simple, small, unimportant)
- •Etymology: "trivial" comes from Latin "trivium," meaning a place where three roads meet, later meaning something common or easy; "nontrivial" means not simple or common
- •Historical development: "Trivial" started to mean unimportant or easy in the 16th century; "nontrivial" appeared later to describe things that are not easy or unimportant, especially in math and science
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in academic, technical, and professional contexts to describe problems or tasks that need real effort or skill
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when you faced a nontrivial problem? How did you solve it?
•How does knowing something is nontrivial change the way you prepare or think about it?
Fill in the blanks
1.The homework was nontrivial because it required ___ understanding and careful steps.
2.When a problem is nontrivial, it usually ___ a lot of time and effort to solve.
3.Unlike trivial questions, nontrivial questions make you ___ deeply about the topic.
4.The difference between these two ideas is nontrivial, meaning it is ___ and important.
5.In science, a nontrivial discovery often ___ new ways to understand the world.
6.You should not ignore nontrivial problems because they can ___ bigger issues later.
7.The solution to the puzzle was nontrivial, so the team had to ___ together to find it.