simplistic
[ sim-plis-tik ]
/ sɪmˈplɪs tɪk /
adjective
characterized by extreme simplism; oversimplified: a simplistic notion of good and bad.
words often confused with simplistic
Contrary to what some people believe,
simplistic is
not a fancy word for
simple.
Simplistic does
not describe things that are easy to understand, deal with, or use. Those sorts of things are simply
simple. However, if something is
too simple—misleadingly so—then it is correctly called
simplistic. An argument that glosses over or omits relevant facts and presents trite, hackneyed, slogan-like statements and sound bites is indeed
simplistic.
Simple —unlike simplistic —is a term that can describe not only issues, statements, and arguments, but all manner of things observable by our senses. It can describe art, music, food, clothing—just about anything. And it is a neutral term. That is, if something is said to be simple, that can be considered either a good thing or a bad thing depending upon one’s taste. But the word is very often used positively—as encapsulated in the well-worn creative principle “Less is more”—to describe language that is straightforward and easy to understand, clothing that is not overly elaborate or excessively decorated, or architecture with clean lines. And something simple can be elegant too. To describe such things as simplistic would be an insult to their creators. And it would be ironic to use what one thinks of as a more exotic, ornamental, impressive term to describe something clear or plain and unadorned—something that is, in fact, simple.
Simple —unlike simplistic —is a term that can describe not only issues, statements, and arguments, but all manner of things observable by our senses. It can describe art, music, food, clothing—just about anything. And it is a neutral term. That is, if something is said to be simple, that can be considered either a good thing or a bad thing depending upon one’s taste. But the word is very often used positively—as encapsulated in the well-worn creative principle “Less is more”—to describe language that is straightforward and easy to understand, clothing that is not overly elaborate or excessively decorated, or architecture with clean lines. And something simple can be elegant too. To describe such things as simplistic would be an insult to their creators. And it would be ironic to use what one thinks of as a more exotic, ornamental, impressive term to describe something clear or plain and unadorned—something that is, in fact, simple.
OTHER WORDS FROM simplistic
sim·plis·ti·cal·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH simplistic
simple simplified simplistic (see confusables note at the current entry)Words nearby simplistic
simplicidentate,
simplicity,
simplicius,
simplify,
simplism,
simplistic,
simplon,
simplon pass,
simply,
simply-connected,
simpson
Example sentences from the Web for simplistic
British Dictionary definitions for simplistic
simplistic
/ (sɪmˈplɪstɪk) /
adjective
characterized by extreme simplicity; naive
oversimplifying complex problems; making unrealistically simple judgments or analyses
Derived forms of simplistic
simplism, noun simplistically, adverbusage for simplistic
Since
simplistic already has
too as part of its meaning, it is tautologous to talk about something being
too simplistic or
over-simplistic