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Trivial vs Cavil - What's the difference?

trivial | cavil |

As nouns the difference between trivial and cavil

is that trivial is (obsolete) any of the three liberal arts forming the trivium while cavil is a petty or trivial objection or criticism.

As an adjective trivial

is ignorable; of little significance or value.

As a verb cavil is

to criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.

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) ----

    cavil

    English

    Alternative forms

    * cavel, cavell

    Verb

  • To criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.
  • * 1598? , William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona , Act I, scene I:
    • 'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1913, author=
    • , title=Lord Stranleigh Abroad , chapter=5 citation , passage=Stranleigh found no difficulty in getting a cavalcade together at Bleacher’s station, an amazingly long distance west of New York. A man finds little trouble in obtaining what he wants, if he never cavils at the price asked, and is willing to pay in advance.}}
  • * 1928 , D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover :
    • I wish you wouldn't cavil , Hilda.

    Synonyms

    * be hypercritical, nitpick, pettifog, split hairs

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A petty or trivial objection or criticism.
  • * 1835 , Charles G. Finney, Lectures on revivals of religion :
    • It is not worth while to spend your time in arguing against a cavil , but make him feel he is committing a sin to plead it, and thus enlist his conscience on your side.

    References