nontrivial
adjective
non·triv·i·al
ˌnän-ˈtri-vē-əl 
1
: not trivial : significant, important
a small but nontrivial amount
… engineering a power plant around the technology is a nontrivial problem.—
John Fleck
John Fleck2
mathematics
: having the value of at least one variable or term not equal to zero
a nontrivial solution
Examples of nontrivial in a Sentence
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Townsend and colleagues had previously detected hints of nontrivial compositionality in chimpanzees.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Sustainment tasks often represent a nontrivial percentage (20% to 40%) of engineering effort; failing to properly communicate and appreciate that LoE can be a source of friction.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
The new study, however, suggests bonobos’ oral communication relies on both trivial and nontrivial compositionality.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
In other cases, these sequences are more meaningful, a type of structure called nontrivial, or complex, compositionality.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nontrivial
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Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Sustainment tasks often represent a nontrivial percentage (20% to 40%) of engineering effort; failing to properly communicate and appreciate that LoE can be a source of friction.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
The new study, however, suggests bonobos’ oral communication relies on both trivial and nontrivial compositionality.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
In other cases, these sequences are more meaningful, a type of structure called nontrivial, or complex, compositionality.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nontrivial
Cite this Entry
“Nontrivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nontrivial. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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