frīvŏlus — Lewis & Short
frīvŏlus, a, um, adj.etym. dub.; perh. from frico,
I 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 skeua/ria eu)telh= pa/nu, Gloss. Philox.—Hence, adv.: frī-vŏlē, in a silly manner, triflingly:
aliqui mentiuntur,Hier. in Mich. II. 7, 8.