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 contained a trivial error in the calculations, but it did not affect the overall results."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

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 acknowledging "a trivial error", focus on its lack of impact on the overall outcome or conclusion. This prevents overemphasizing the mistake and maintains a positive tone.

Common error

Avoid using overly apologetic language when addressing "a trivial error". A simple acknowledgment is sufficient; excessive apologies can create unnecessary concern or doubt.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a trivial error" functions as a noun phrase. It identifies a specific type of mistake. As Ludwig AI indicates, it describes an error that is minor or insignificant. The examples show it being used to downplay the importance of a mistake.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a trivial error" describes a minor or insignificant mistake. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and offers examples from science, news and media sources. While not very frequent, it's suitable for neutral contexts. When using this phrase, focus on the lack of impact on the overall outcome, and avoid excessive apologies. Alternatives include "a minor mistake" or "an insignificant error".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an insignificant mistake

This alternative replaces "error" with "mistake" and "trivial" with "insignificant", emphasizing the lack of importance.

a minor oversight

This alternative uses "oversight" instead of "error", suggesting the error was due to a failure to notice something.

a negligible mistake

This alternative substitutes "trivial" with "negligible", highlighting that the mistake is so small it can be ignored.

a petty fault

This alternative replaces "error" with "fault" and "trivial" with "petty", suggesting the error is small and unimportant.

a small slip-up

This option employs the colloquial term "slip-up" for "error", indicating a minor and casual mistake.

a slight inaccuracy

This alternative uses "inaccuracy" instead of "error", focusing on the lack of precision rather than a mistake.

a minor infraction

This alternative replaces "error" with "infraction", implying a slight violation of a rule or standard.

a forgivable mistake

This phrase puts more focus on the fact that the mistake can be forgiven, as it is so trivial.

a venial error

Using "venial" makes the error sound forgivable, almost unimportant, in a more formal tone.

a chickenfeed mistake

This option uses a colorful idiom to convey that the mistake is insignificant and of no consequence.

FAQs

What's another way to say "a trivial error"?

You can use phrases like "a minor mistake", "an insignificant error", or "a negligible oversight".

Is it okay to ignore "a trivial error"?

Whether to ignore "a trivial error" depends on the context. If it doesn't affect the overall accuracy or understanding, it may be acceptable to overlook it. However, in some situations, even minor errors should be corrected for the sake of precision.

How does "a trivial error" differ from "a significant error"?

"A trivial error" is a small, unimportant mistake that has little to no impact. In contrast, "a significant error" has serious consequences and affects the overall accuracy or validity.

When should I correct "a trivial error"?

Correct "a trivial error" when precision and accuracy are crucial, or when failing to do so would undermine credibility. In less formal contexts, it may be acceptable to leave minor errors uncorrected.