a trifling sum

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a trifling sum" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to an amount of money that is considered insignificant or unimportant. Example: "The donation was appreciated, but it was merely a trifling sum compared to the total cost of the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Travel

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Three months later governments were still arguing about where or indeed whether this money, a trifling sum in the scheme of things, should be spent.

The Economist

The Keidanren has called for better corporate governance, so perhaps Mr Toyoda feels he needs to set an example.Yet although ¥200 billion is not a trifling sum, Toyota did not go overboard.

The Economist

Wouldn't there be some, among the crowds that always throng the square, just a few with still a modicum of humanity who, for a trifling sum, will take pride and joy in setting little birds free.

The Guardian - Travel

That would be a trifling sum with which to set up a global media empire, but for the fact that B4U is a pure content business, which rents space on cable and satellite networks around the world, rather than building its own.

The Economist

Rousseau, who put about the story that he had seen the jungle first-hand while in the army in Mexico, in fact never left France, and only joined the army after cheating his employer, a solicitor, out of a trifling sum of money and some stamps, for which he spent a month in jail in 1864.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

But by way of easing them into this new world, £300m of "transition" funding was eventually set aside: a relatively trifling sum, but every little helps.

The Guardian - Opinion

BMW, it emerged yesterday, paid the trifling sum of €299 to get the current cold front – named "Cooper" to advertise its Mini – before it started claiming lives.

Independent

For that trifling sum, you get to sway the direction of Labour's future, and, if enough of you sign up — many minds with but a single thought — the outcome will be anything but a trifle.

The New Yorker

For that trifling sum, you get to sway the direction of Labour's future, and, if enough of you sign up many minds with but a single thought the outcome will be anything but a trifle.

The New Yorker

Qwest Communications overshadowed this trifling sum by announcing that it will write off up to $30 billion later this year.NTT, Japan's biggest telecoms company, revealed that it would write off ¥2 trillion $15.1 billionn) from the value of overseas assets bought when prices and expectations were sky-high.

The Economist

The packets bet during the August 15th raid were altogether more trifling: sums of $50m or less.If a conspiracy theory at all were wanted, then an attack on the stockmarket rather than on the currency sounds more plausible.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a trifling sum", consider the context. It's best used when contrasting the small amount with a larger amount or expectation to highlight the disparity.

Common error

Avoid using "a trifling sum" when you want to express a genuinely significant amount, even if it seems small relative to something else. This phrase always implies insignificance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a trifling sum" functions as a noun phrase, with "trifling" acting as an adjective modifying "sum". Ludwig's examples show it used to describe amounts of money considered insignificant in a larger context.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Travel

25%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a trifling sum" is a grammatically sound and infrequently used expression that describes a small or insignificant amount of money. As Ludwig's examples illustrate, this phrase is most commonly found in news and media contexts and serves to downplay the importance of the sum in question. Consider alternative phrases like "a paltry sum" or "a negligible amount" depending on the context to convey similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a paltry sum

Replaces "trifling" with "paltry", highlighting the worthlessness of the amount.

an insignificant amount

Replaces "trifling" with "insignificant", focusing on the lack of importance.

a measly amount

Emphasizes the contemptible smallness of the sum.

a negligible quantity

Substitutes "sum" with "quantity", suitable when referring to non-monetary amounts.

a nominal sum

Suggests the sum is so small it's practically symbolic.

a modest amount

Uses "modest" instead of "trifling", suggesting a small but acceptable quantity.

a fractional amount

Focuses on the sum being a tiny fraction of a larger whole.

a small pittance

Emphasizes the inadequacy of the amount using the word "pittance".

a chickenfeed amount

Uses a colloquial term to emphasize the smallness of the sum.

a minor expense

Shifts the focus to the sum as a cost rather than a total amount.

FAQs

What does "a trifling sum" mean?

The phrase "a trifling sum" refers to an amount of money that is considered small, insignificant, or not worth much attention.

What can I say instead of "a trifling sum"?

You can use alternatives like "a paltry sum", "a negligible amount", or "a small amount" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "a trifling sum" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "a trifling sum" may sound somewhat informal or dismissive. In formal writing, consider using alternatives such as "a modest sum" or "a nominal amount".

How to use "a trifling sum" in a sentence?

You can use "a trifling sum" to downplay the importance of an amount, like: "Three months later governments were still arguing about where or indeed whether this money, "a trifling sum" in the scheme of things, should be spent."