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Facile vs Trivial - What's the difference?

facile | trivial |

As adjectives the difference between facile and trivial

is that facile is easy, now especially in a disparaging sense; contemptibly easy while trivial is ignorable; of little significance or value.

As a noun trivial is

(obsolete) any of the three liberal arts forming the trivium.

facile

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Easy, now especially in a disparaging sense; contemptibly easy.
  • * , vol.I, New York, 2001, p.243:
    • as he that is benumbed with cold sits shaking, that might relieve himself with a little exercise or stirring, do they complain, but will not use the facile and ready means to do themselves good […].
    • His facile disposition made him many friends.
  • Effortless, fluent (of work, abilities etc.).
  • * 1932 , (Duff Cooper), Talleyrand , Folio Society 2010, p. 54:
    • we can learn the impression that he made upon a stranger and a foreigner at this period, thanks to the facile pen of Fannu Burney.
  • * 1974 , (Graham Greene), (The Honorary Consul) , Pocket Books, New York, p.54:
    • "Discipline," Jorge Julio Saavedra was repeating, "is more necessary to me than to other more facile writers.
  • * 1990 , (Peter Hopkirk), The Great Game , Folio Society 2010, p. 372:
    • A facile and persuasive writer, he also turned out countless newspaper articles on Russian aims in Central Asia and how best these could be thwarted.
  • Lazy, simplistic (especially of explanations, discussions etc.).
  • * 2012 , (Chris Huhne), The Guardian , 3 May 2012:
    • There is a facile view that our green commitments – to tackling climate change, avoiding air and water pollution, protecting natural habitats – are an obstacle to growth. The message of the commodity markets is surely different.
  • (chemistry) Of a reaction or other process, taking place readily.
    • Decarboxylation of beta-keto acids is facile ...

    Synonyms

    * (skillful) See also

    Related terms

    * facilitation * facilitative * facilitate * facilitator * facilitatory * facility

    External links

    * * * ----

    trivial

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Ignorable; of little significance or value.
  • * 1848, , Bantam Classics (1997), 16:
    • "All which details, I have no doubt, Jones , who reads this book at his Club, will pronounce to be excessively foolish, trivial , twaddling, and ultra-sentimental."
  • Commonplace, ordinary.
  • * De Quincey
    • As a scholar, meantime, he was trivial , and incapable of labour.
  • Concerned with or involving trivia.
  • (biology) Relating to or designating the name of a species; specific as opposed to generic.
  • (mathematics) Of, relating to, or being the simplest possible case.
  • (mathematics) Self-evident.
  • Pertaining to the trivium.
  • (philosophy) Indistinguishable in case of truth or falsity.

    • Synonyms

    * (of little significance) ignorable, negligible, trifling

    Antonyms

    * nontrivial * important * significant * radical * fundamental

    Derived terms

    * trivia

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) Any of the three liberal arts forming the trivium.
    • (Skelton)
    (Wood)
    (Webster 1913) ----