frivolous
ˈfrɪvələs
adjective
Origin
Latin
frivolus — silly, trifling, empty
Overview
Meaning Now
- Not having any serious purpose or value.
- Carefree and not serious; giddy or flippant.
Literal older meaning
silly, trifling
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
frivolous
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term derives from the Latin 'frivolus', which originally implied something fragile or brittle, and by extension, something easily broken or of little substance. This metaphor transitioned into the abstract sense of a person or idea lacking seriousness.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
frivolus
“silly, trifling, brittle, fragile”
- Middle French
frivole
“trifling, empty”
- Early Modern English
frivolous
“silly, of little weight or importance”
Connections
Word parts
frivol-
root
silly or trifling
-ous
suffix
characterized by
Related across languages
French
frivole
frivolous
Spanish
frívolo
frivolous
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Related to frivolous
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.