adj
frivolous
FRIHV-uh-luhs
adj
1
Silly or lacking seriousness, especially at a time when seriousness is expected.
"He was fired for making frivolous jokes during the safety briefing."
2
Of little real importance or value; trivial.
"She spent her bonus on frivolous purchases like novelty mugs."
3
Legal: describing a claim or lawsuit that has no serious legal basis and is unlikely to succeed.
"The judge dismissed the case as frivolous."
How to Use Frivolous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSilly, unimportant, or (in law) lacking any real merit.
Common pairings
a frivolous lawsuit
frivolous spending
frivolous remark
Word Forms
more frivolous comparative, most frivolous superlative
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Etymology
From Latin frīvolus ("trifling, worthless"), with the English ending "-ous" added.