A trivial error

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "A trivial error" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a mistake that is minor or insignificant in nature. Example: "The report was mostly accurate, but it contained a trivial error in the date."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Or, "surely that's such a trivial error…" What is amazing, is that apart from this seemingly endless list of corrections, it's quite a favourable notice.

The Guardian

The developers, at risk of losing tens of millions of dollars in sales, fought back, saying they had made a trivial error that should be ignored.

The New York Times

Over the years, the hole argument was deemed to be a trivial error by an otherwise insightful Einstein.

SEP

The small difference between the results at low values of transmit power is due to a trivial error in PDF estimation at low values of SNR.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

However, we also recognized this estimate of GC content was susceptible of a non trivial error bar, because nearly 20% of the genome was missing from the draft assembly.

BMC Genomics

The sponsors argued that they made a trivial mistake — a typo that lawyers refer to as a "scrivener's error" — that should be overlooked.

The New York Times

This legend possibly true, but who knows?– was a boon to the big law firms because it justified all manner of extra billable hours for fear that someone, somewhere, somehow might make an equally trivial error of similarly momentous consequence.

Forbes

Now they are debating whether the mistake was a trivial clerical error that should simply be ignored, or a one-time opportunity for Rushmore buyers to back out and recover their deposits or negotiate a better deal.

The New York Times

"This trivial error was turned into a huge misjudgment".

The New York Times

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report has shown that virtually decarbonizing the entire global economy by the end of the century costs a mere 0.06 percent of global GDP a year, which, as Paul Krugman has noted, is a trivial rounding error.

Independent

A comparison with results for no-shear plug flow reveals the relatively minor effects of shear (so that the approximating velocity profile produces only trivial error).

Chemical Engineering Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a trivial error", ensure the context clearly indicates the error's lack of significance. This prevents misinterpretation and maintains clarity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid overstating the consequences of what you describe as "a trivial error". Misrepresenting its impact undermines your credibility and distorts the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a trivial error" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "trivial" modifies the noun "error". It describes a mistake that is minor or insignificant. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness and usability of this phrase.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a trivial error" is a grammatically sound expression used to describe a minor or insignificant mistake. Ludwig AI validates its correctness and usability in written English. It is most commonly found in scientific and news contexts, used to downplay the impact of an error. When using this phrase, ensure the context reflects the error's lack of significance to avoid misinterpretation. Alternatives include ""a minor mistake"" or ""an insignificant mistake"".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

A minor mistake

Focuses on the small scale of the error.

An insignificant mistake

Emphasizes the lack of importance of the mistake.

A negligible error

Highlights that the error is so small it can be disregarded.

A slight oversight

Suggests the error was a result of inattention.

A small inaccuracy

Indicates a minor deviation from what is correct.

A forgivable error

Suggests that the error is so insignificant that it is easily excused.

A petty mistake

Highlights the unimportance of the mistake, potentially with a slightly negative connotation.

A venial error

Uses a more formal and less common term to describe a pardonable mistake.

A technicality

Focuses on the error being related to a minor technical detail.

A glitch

Suggests the error is a small malfunction or temporary problem.

FAQs

How can I use "A trivial error" in a sentence?

You can use "A trivial error" to describe a mistake that is minor or insignificant. For example: "The report was mostly accurate, but it contained "a trivial error" in the date."

What are some alternatives to saying "A trivial error"?

Alternatives include "a minor mistake", "an insignificant mistake", or "a negligible error", depending on the context.

Is it okay to ignore "A trivial error"?

Whether to ignore "a trivial error" depends on the context. If correcting it would take more effort than the impact of the error warrants, it might be acceptable to overlook it. However, in contexts where accuracy is paramount, even minor errors should be addressed.

What's the difference between "A trivial error" and "A serious error"?

"A trivial error" is a minor mistake with little to no significant consequences, while "a serious error" has significant negative impacts and requires immediate attention.