Trivial name

A trivial name is a name for a chemical compound that has no systematic elements at all, for example urea, water, ammonia. In this sense, a trivial name is distinguished from a semisystematic name and from a systematic name.

In a less technical sense, the term "trivial name" can be used to refer to a name which is in common use but which is not recommended, "the common or vernacular name" as one dictionary put it, for example ethylene oxide, adipic acid. Here it is distinguished from a retained name and from a systematic name. The two definitions are inconsistent with one another, as can be seen from the examples:

Name	common use?	systematic elements?	fully systematic?	IUPAC recommended?
water	YES	NO	NO	YES
adipic acid	YES	YES	NO	NO
acetic acid	YES	YES	NO	YES
ethanoic acid	NO	YES	YES	?