different between extraneous vs frivolous

English

Etymology

From Latin extr?neus (“from without, strange”). Doublet of strange. Cognate with estrange (verb), Spanish extraño.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?st?e?.ni.?s/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ek?st?æ?.ni.?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?st?e?.ni.?s/, /?k?st?e?.ni.?s/
• Rhymes: -e?ni?s

Adjective

extraneous (not comparable)

1. Not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; foreign

   to separate gold from extraneous matter

   Extraneous substances were found on my cup of water.

2. Not essential or intrinsic

Synonyms

• (not belonging to): additional, alien, foreign, intrusive; See also Thesaurus:foreign
• (not essential): superfluous, extra; See also Thesaurus:extrinsic

Antonyms

• intraneous

Derived terms

• extraneously
• extraneousness

Translations

English

Etymology

From Latin fr?volus (“silly, empty, trifling, frivolous, worthless”), with the ending modified to match -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f??v.?l.?s/
• Hyphenation: friv?o?lous

Adjective

frivolous (comparative more frivolous, superlative most frivolous)

1. Silly, especially at an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate manner.
2. Of little weight or importance; not worth notice; slight.
3. (law, said of a lawsuit) Having no reasonable prospect of success because its claim is without merit, lacking a supporting legal or factual basis, while the filing party is, or should be, aware of this.
   • 2005, Factcheck.org^[1]:

     One of the major cost drivers in the delivery of health care are these junk and frivolous lawsuits.

Derived terms

• frivolent
• frivolously
• frivolousness

Related terms

• frivol
• frivolity

Translations

Further reading

• frivolous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• frivolous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.