simple

[ sim-puhl ]

/ ˈsɪm pəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR simple ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, sim·pler, sim·plest.

easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: a simple matter; simple tools.

not elaborate or artificial; plain: a simple style.

not ornate or luxurious; unadorned: a simple gown.

unaffected; unassuming; modest: a simple manner.

not complicated: a simple design.

not complex or compound; single.

occurring or considered alone; mere; bare: the simple truth; a simple fact.

free of deceit or guile; sincere; unconditional: a frank, simple answer.

common or ordinary: a simple soldier.

not grand or sophisticated; unpretentious: a simple way of life.

humble or lowly: simple folk.

inconsequential or rudimentary.

unlearned; ignorant.

lacking mental acuteness or sense: a simple way of thinking.

unsophisticated; naive; credulous.

simpleminded.

Chemistry.

composed of only one substance or element: a simple substance.
not mixed.

Botany. not divided into parts: a simple leaf; a simple stem.

Zoology. not compound: a simple ascidian.

Music. uncompounded or without overtones; single: simple tone.

Grammar. having only the head without modifying elements included: The simple subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “pony.” Compare complete(def 5).

(of a verb tense) consisting of a main verb with no auxiliaries, as takes (simple present) or stood (simple past) (opposed to compound).

Mathematics. linear(def 7).

Optics. (of a lens) having two optical surfaces only.

noun

an ignorant, foolish, or gullible person.

something simple, unmixed, or uncompounded.

simples, Textiles. cords for controlling the warp threads in forming the shed on draw-looms.

a person of humble origins; commoner.

an herb or other plant used for medicinal purposes: country simples.

Origin of simple

1175–1225; (adj.) Middle English < Old French < Late Latin simplus simple, Latin (in simpla pecunia simple fee or sum), equivalent to sim- one (see simplex) + -plus, as in duplus duple, double (see -fold); cognate with Greek háplos (see haplo-); (noun) Middle English: commoner, derivative of the adj.

SYNONYMS FOR simple

1 clear, intelligible, understandable, unmistakable, lucid.

2 natural, unembellished, neat.

8 artless, guileless, ingenuous.

12 trifling, trivial, nonessential, unnecessary.

13 untutored, stupid.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR simple ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for simple

10. See homely.

words often confused with simple

See simplistic.

OTHER WORDS FROM simple

sim·ple·ness, noun o·ver·sim·ple, adjective o·ver·sim·ple·ness, noun o·ver·sim·p·ly, adverb

sub·sim·ple, adjective ul·tra·sim·ple, adjective un·sim·ple, adjective un·sim·ple·ness, noun un·sim·p·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH simple

simple simplified simplistic (see confusables note at simplistic)

Words nearby simple

simony, simoom, simp, simpatico, simper, simple, simple absence, simple algebraic extension, simple arc, simple carbohydrate, simple closed curve

Example sentences from the Web for simple

The simple, awful truth is that free speech has never been particularly popular in America.

How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech |Nick Gillespie |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
The reason pilots would choose to use guns over a bomb or a missile is simple.

New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019 |Dave Majumdar |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Still, I worry that a simple traffic stop could have tragic consequences.

What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face? |Goldie Taylor |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The premise was simple: satire is devastating against tyrants.

The Sony Hack and America’s Craven Capitulation To Terror |David Keyes |December 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

A big part of the reason is a simple psychological phenomenon called cognitive dissonance.

Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby? |Amanda Marcotte |December 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The story is simple enough, but Miss Doudney handles it well.

The Old Masters and Their Pictures |Sarah Tytler
The simple fact was, that Pope's grandfather, the highest they could trace the family, was a clergyman in Hampshire.

Homes and Haunts of the Most Eminent British Poets, Vol. I (of 2) |William Howitt
Of a simple and solid edifice, it is not easy, however, to circumscribe the duration.

The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire |Edward Gibbon
A simple story, too, and yet there are so many ways of telling it!

Henrietta Temple |Benjamin Disraeli
Each of these was, then, bent on constructing a science out of a simple fact.

The Works of Honor de Balzac |Honor de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for simple

simple

/ (ˈsɪmpəl) /

adjective

not involved or complicated; easy to understand or do a simple problem

plain; unadorned a simple dress

consisting of one element or part only; not combined or complex a simple mechanism

unaffected or unpretentious although he became famous, he remained a simple and well-liked man

not guileful; sincere; frank her simple explanation was readily accepted

of humble condition or rank the peasant was of simple birth

weak in intelligence; feeble-minded

(prenominal) without additions or modifications; mere the witness told the simple truth

(prenomina) ordinary or straightforward a simple case of mumps

chem (of a substance or material) consisting of only one chemical compound rather than a mixture of compounds

maths

(of a fraction) containing only integers
(of an equation) containing variables to the first power only; linear
(of a root of an equation) occurring only once; not multiple

biology

not divided into partsa simple leaf; a simple eye
formed from only one ovarysimple fruit

music relating to or denoting a time where the number of beats per bar may be two, three, or four

noun archaic

a simpleton; fool

a plant, esp a herbaceous plant, having medicinal properties

Derived forms of simple

simpleness, noun

Word Origin for simple

C13: via Old French from Latin simplex plain

Idioms and Phrases with simple

simple

see pure and simple.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

simple

adjective, sim·pler, sim·plest.

noun

Origin of simple

SYNONYMS FOR simple

synonym study for simple

words often confused with simple

OTHER WORDS FROM simple

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH simple

Words nearby simple

Example sentences from the Web for simple

British Dictionary definitions for simple

adjective

noun archaic

Derived forms of simple

Word Origin for simple

Idioms and Phrases with simple

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

simple

adjective, sim·pler, sim·plest.

noun

Origin of simple

SYNONYMS FOR simple

synonym study for simple

words often confused with simple

OTHER WORDS FROM simple

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH simple

Words nearby simple

Words related to simple

Example sentences from the Web for simple

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for simple

adjective

noun archaic

Derived forms of simple

Word Origin for simple

Idioms and Phrases with simple

British Dictionary definitions for simple