a trivial variation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a trivial variation" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a minor or insignificant change or difference in something. Example: "The new design is just a trivial variation of the previous model, with only slight adjustments to the color scheme."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Far more elegant flight is just a trivial variation.

Forbes

Again, while the complications can get get confusing in practice, theoretically this seems a trivial variation on positing.

SEP

In other respects, counterpositing seems, mutatis mutandis, to be a trivial variation on positing.[27] This itself raises an interpretive problem: why treat counterpositing as a separate kind of obligatio at all?

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

All patients, despite trivial variation of symptoms, have to be managed as with the infection without taking confirmatory test.

Plosone

For example, for countries with a life expectancy of 72, HALE varied from 61.1 to 64.6, a non-trivial variation.

BMC Public Health

The range covered has to be small enough to show variation visibly; but you shouldn't use a compressed range to make trivial variations look like a big deal.

The New York Times

In other words, there is no reason to believe that the trivial variations in mortality risk observed across an enormous weight range actually have anything to do with weight or that intentional weight gain or loss would affect that risk in a predictable way.

The New York Times

Dwivedi and Gopal [49], utilizing extracts of Chenopodium album, observed trivial variations in zeta potentials of nanoparticles in pH conditions ranging from 2 to 10 and determined that nanoparticles were more stable when exposed to higher pH conditions.

Nanoscale Research Letters

The nestedness measures available in FALCON are shown and briefly described below and in Table 1; further details are given in Appendix A. The nestedness measures considered here are not trivial variations upon each other, but differ significantly in their derivations.

F1000Research

The fairly broad expression patterns of the reference markers, such as the transcriptional factor evenskipped which is expressed as seven stripes around an embryo, and the non-trivial variation of the number of nuclei (in the ±10% range), make it difficult to achieve the single nucleus accuracy for the registered point clouds.

Bioinformatics

(To be precise, there was a trivial 3% of the variation in pay that could be explained by the variation in shareholder returns).

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a trivial variation" when you want to downplay the significance of a change or difference. It's useful in technical or scientific contexts to indicate that observed variations don't affect the overall outcome or conclusion.

Common error

Avoid using "a trivial variation" when the difference is actually significant. Ensure that the variation genuinely has little to no impact on the core aspects being discussed. Otherwise, consider using phrases like "a notable difference" or "a significant change".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a trivial variation" functions as a descriptor, modifying a noun to indicate that the variation being discussed is minor or insignificant. According to Ludwig, this usage is considered correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a trivial variation" is a descriptor used to indicate an insignificant difference or change. It's grammatically correct, as affirmed by Ludwig, and suitable for formal and neutral contexts, particularly in science and news media. When using the phrase, ensure that the variation truly is inconsequential to avoid misleading your audience. Consider alternatives like "a minor difference" or "a negligible change" for similar meanings. Understanding its appropriate use will enhance the clarity and precision of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a minor difference

Emphasizes the small degree of difference.

a slight modification

Highlights the act of making a small adjustment.

a negligible change

Focuses on the insignificance of the change.

a small adjustment

Indicates a minor alteration or tweak.

an inconsequential difference

Stresses the lack of importance of the difference.

a marginal alteration

Suggests a change that is barely noticeable.

a superficial change

Highlights that the change is only on the surface.

a subtle distinction

Emphasizes the understated nature of the difference.

a minimal deviation

Focuses on the slight departure from the original.

an insignificant modification

Reiterates the unimportance of the modification.

FAQs

How can I use "a trivial variation" in a sentence?

You can use "a trivial variation" to describe a minor or insignificant change. For example: "The updated software is just "a trivial variation" of the previous version, with only slight adjustments to the interface".

What phrases are similar to "a trivial variation"?

Similar phrases include "a minor difference", "a slight modification", or "a negligible change", all indicating small and unimportant changes.

When is it appropriate to use "a trivial variation"?

It's appropriate when describing changes that have little to no impact on the overall result or conclusion. For instance, in science, you might say: "The experiment yielded "a trivial variation" in the results, which was not statistically significant".

What's the difference between "a trivial variation" and "a significant change"?

"A trivial variation" indicates a minor, inconsequential difference, while "a significant change" implies a notable, important alteration. If the difference has a meaningful impact, use "a significant change"; otherwise, "a trivial variation" is more appropriate.