frīvŏlus, a, um, adj. [etym. dub.; perh. from frico], silly, empty, trifling, frivolous; pitiful, sorry, worthless (mostly post-Aug.; perh. not in Cic.; cf. futtilis).
I Adj. : frivolus hic quidem jam et illiberalis est sermo, Auct. Her. 4, 11, 16: levibus aut frivolis aut manifesto falsis reum incessere (shortly after: quia, qui vana congerit), Quint. 7, 2, 34; Vop. Aur. 3, 1: colligitis lexidia, res taetras et inanes et frivolas, Gell. 18, 7, 3: frivola et inanis argutiola, id. 2, 7, 9: quaedam dicit futtilia et frivola, id. 16, 12, 1: jocus, Plin. 28, 19, 79, § 260: auspicium, Suet. Ner. 41: aura, Phaedr. 5, 8, 1: insolentia, id. 3, 6, 8: jactantia in parvis, Quint. 1, 6, 20: opus, Plin. 22, 6, 7, § 15: labor, Sen. Ep. 31: cura, Plin. 25, 3, 7, § 22: origo superbissimi animalium (i. e. hominis), id. 7, 7, 5, § 43: ratione morientes, id. 11, 29, 35, § 102: flunt in litterarum ostentatione inepti et frivoli, Gell. 15, 30, 2; so, in cognoscendo ac decernendo nonnumquam frivolus amentique similis, Suet. Claud. 15: quin etiam, quod est imprimis frivolum ac scaenicum, verbum petant (declamatores), quo incipiant, Quint. 10, 7, 21: frivolum dictu, Plin. 7, 53, 54, § 186: frivolum videatur, non tamen omittendum, id. 28, 12, 50, § 184: huic misit qui nescio quid frivoli ducentis milibus traderet, some worthless thing , trifle , Suet. Calig. 39 fin. —
II Subst.: frīvŏla , ōrum, n. plur., wretched furniture , paltry things , trifles : inter frivola mea, Sen. Tranq. 1; Dig. 13, 7, 11, § 5: jam poscit aquam: jam frivola transfert Ucalegon, Juv. 3, 198; 5, 59; Suet. Calig. 39; Dig. 13, 7, 11, § 5; cf.: frivola σκευάρια εὐτελῆ πάνυ, Gloss. Philox.—Hence, adv.: frī-vŏlē , in a silly manner , triflingly : aliqui mentiuntur, Hier. in Mich. II. 7, 8.