Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TRIVIALIZE

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connect today's word to others: To trivialize something is to treat it like it's trivial, like it doesn't matter. We crossed paths with the word trivial a while back (in the game section of this issue), and I mentioned then that trivia is Latin for "three ways: a place where three roads meet." The meaning changed into "a public place," then to "commonplace," and now, of course, trivial means "unimportant." The "via" part in trivialize means "way," just like in these related words: 1. d_via__: to go a different way, to turn aside and take a different (often unexpected) path; 2. o_via__: literally to be in the way of something: to make something unnecessary; and 3. via m___a: a middle way, a compromise between two extremes. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "TRIVIALIZE" Something trivial is like a small detail: it's unimportant, it's not serious, or it doesn't matter much. So, to trivialize something is to make it seem unimportant or not serious--in other words, to treat it like it doesn't matter much. Pronunciation: TRIV ee uh lize Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you trivialize something.) Other forms: trivialized, trivializing, trivialization, trivializer(s) How to use it: This word has a negative tone. Trivializing something is never good--and, if you're willing to be idealistic about people and their intentions, you might agree that no one ever trivializes something on purpose. Usually we talk about people who trivialize serious things or important things, acting like they're not significant.  Here are some things that people often trivialize:    needs and concerns;     pains, feelings, and experiences;    causes, effects, forces, and powers;     risks, benefits, and possibilities;     qualities, aspects, and accomplishments;    problems and dilemmas;    events, incidents, conflicts;     crimes, injustices, and atrocities;    similarities, differences, and relationships;     cultures and histories;    and situations and complexities. You might say people trivialize something by doing something ("they trivialized the culture by turning it into a Halloween costume") or with something ("they trivialized our concerns with a light laugh") or as something else ("they trivialized the crime as the silly prank of a young man").  Though it's often people who trivialize things, we can also say that things trivialize other things: decisions and actions can trivialize things, and so can policies, statements, shows, movies, books, advertisements, propaganda, etc. examples: Schools take bullying seriously; no longer do they allow that behavior to be trivialized as just part of the childhood experience. The textbook was written for kids, so inevitably it trivializes much of the violence between American settlers and Native Americans. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "trivialize" means when you can explain it without saying "render insignificant" or "treat as trifling." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "By depicting (something or someone) (in a certain simplistic or silly way), (a magazine, an advertisement, a book, or a movie) trivializes (it or them)." Example: "By depicting depression as a pesky little rain cloud, the magazine trivializes it." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Bits & Pieces. Last month, we played with affixes and combining forms, the bits and pieces of our language, matching them to their meanings. The more of these bits and pieces you know, the better you are at decoding unfamiliar words, which is sooo satisfying!  Here are the answers from our previous issue: 1. "amylo-" means "starch." 2. "lacto-" means "milk." 3. "saccharo-" means "sugar." 4. "sito-" means "food." 5. "vitro-" means "glass." Now, a new game for June: Uncommon Opposites! I'll give you a rare word and its definition, and you come up with its more familiar opposite. For example, if I say, "To exfiltrate is to secretly withdraw people from a dangerous situation," then you come up with the opposite: "infiltrate." Or if I say, "An allograph is something written by someone other than the person concerned," then you come up with "autograph." We'll take these in order from easy to hard as the month goes on. Ready? Try this today: Hypermnesia is an overactive memory, the power to remember a great deal of information. What's the opposite? review today's word: 1. Some opposites of TRIVIALIZE are A. DEFLATE and CONSOLIDATE. B. ENNOBLE and EXAGGERATE. C. FINALIZE and EMBELLISH. 2. Although he finds the skit funny, he finds fault with it because it trivializes _____. A. people who stutter B. the danger posed by the dictator it mocks C. the tired stereotype of men as emotionally clueless Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B