frivolous

adjective

friv·​o·​lous ˈfri-və-ləs 

1

a

: of little weight or importance

She thinks window shopping is a frivolous activity.

b

: having no sound basis (as in fact or law)

a frivolous lawsuit

2

a

: lacking in seriousness

a frivolous conversation

b

: marked by unbecoming levity

was criticized for his frivolous behavior in court

frivolously adverb

frivolousness noun

Did you know?

A Serious Discussion About the Meaning of Frivolous

The word frivolous is applied to things that don't deserve serious attention—though in some cases a thing described as "frivolous" is serious enough to be a legal matter.

In its most basic, and oldest, uses, frivolous simply describes things of little importance. You can refer to anything you don't find worthwhile—from silly products to outrageous forms of entertainment to goofy pursuits—as "frivolous." Something that in a more technical sense lacks seriousness can also be described with the word; a frivolous essay or book isn't dealing with important topics or ideas. In applying the word frivolous to something, you're saying it doesn't deserve serious attention.

The word frivolous gets more serious when it's applied, as it often is, to legal matters. If a lawsuit is said to be frivolous, it cannot be successfully argued (because, for example, a successful argument would require that a widely rejected legal theory be accepted) or that laws—or the facts—don't support it.

Synonyms

• fiddling
• foolish
• incidental
• inconsequential
• inconsiderable
• insignificant
• little
• Mickey Mouse
• minor
• minute
• negligible
• nugatory
• slight
• small
• small-fry
• trifling
• trivial
• unimportant

Examples of frivolous in a Sentence

She knew that people might think her frivolous, Kitty said, to talk to some saint when she had a cooking disaster, but that was what she really believed the saints were there for. —Alice Munro, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2001

As the Explorer quickly became the most popular SUV of all time … a number of lawsuits concerning the Firestone tires were filed, the first in 1992. But Ford and Firestone, like most companies in today's … society, tend to assume that the bulk of legal actions are frivolous. —Daniel Eisenberg, Time, 11 Sept. 2000

There is no frivolous decoration, no canned music, nothing but the essentials—well-worn cutlery and table linen, unpretentious glasses. —Peter Mayle, GQ, May 1998

She thinks window shopping is a frivolous activity.

judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits

Recent Examples on the Web

James's oncologist seemed embarrassed and dodged her questions, which left her feeling both frivolous and ignored. —Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 19 Jan. 2025

So wanting to protect it from potentially frivolous lawsuits has some merit. —Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Jan. 2025

The manic Benji is frivolous and jokey one minute, strident and uncompromising the next. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025

Don’t take a frivolous tax return position, cash Treasury checks made out to clients, or represent clients with conflicting interests. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin frivolus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

frivolous

adjective

friv·​o·​lous ˈfriv-(ə-)ləs 

1

: of little importance : trivial

a frivolous complaint

2

: lacking in seriousness

a frivolous attitude about a serious matter

frivolously adverb

frivolousness noun

Legal Definition

frivolous

adjective

friv·​o·​lous ˈfri-və-ləs 

: lacking in any arguable basis or merit in either law or fact

Note: In an attempt to discourage frivolous lawsuits, Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires the signature of an attorney or party on any pleading, motion, or other paper to certify that to the signer's knowledge it is grounded in fact and warranted by law or otherwise brought in good faith and not for an improper purpose. A court is authorized to impose sanctions for violation of the rule.