Join Us On

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

Medical

Scrabble^®

Spanish Central

Browse Dictionary Browse Thesaurus

Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android

Dictionary

¹simple

adjective sim·ple \ˈsim-pəl\

: not hard to understand or do

: having few parts : not complex or fancy

: not special or unusual

sim·pler \-p(ə-)lər\ sim·plest \-p(ə-)ləst\

Full Definition of SIMPLE

: free from guile : innocent

a : free from vanity : modest

b : free from ostentation or display <a simple outfit>

: of humble origin or modest position <a simple farmer>

a : lacking in knowledge or expertise <a simple amateur of the arts>

b (1) : stupid (2) : mentally retarded

c : not socially or culturally sophisticated : naive; also : credulous

a : sheer, unmixed <simple honesty>

b : free of secondary complications <a simple vitamin deficiency>

c (1) : having only one main clause and no subordinate clauses <a simple sentence> (2) of a subject or predicate : having no modifiers, complements, or objects

d : constituting a basic element : fundamental

e : not made up of many like units <a simple eye>

: free from elaboration or figuration <simple harmony>

a (1) : not subdivided into branches or leaflets <a simple stem> <a simple leaf> (2) : consisting of a single carpel (3) : developing from a single ovary <a simple fruit>

b : controlled by a single gene <simple inherited characters>

: not limited or restricted : unconditional <a simple obligation>

: readily understood or performed <simple directions> <the adjustment was simple to make>

of a statistical hypothesis : specifying exact values for one or more statistical parameters — compare composite 3

— sim·ple·ness \-pəl-nəs\ noun

See simple defined for English-language learners

See simple defined for kids

Origin of SIMPLE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin simplus, alteration of Latin simplic-, simplex single, having one ingredient, plain, from sem-, sim- one + -plic-, -plex -fold — more at same, -fold

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to SIMPLE

Synonyms: bald, bare, naked, plain-vanilla, plain, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, unvarnished

Antonyms: adorned, decorated, embellished, fancy, ornamented

Synonym Discussion of SIMPLE

simple, foolish, silly, fatuous, asinine mean actually or apparently deficient in intelligence. simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort <considered people simple who had trouble with computers>. foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense <foolish stunts>. silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior <the silly antics of revelers>. fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality <fatuous conspiracy theories>. asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception <an asinine plot>.

synonyms see in addition easy

Rhymes with SIMPLE

dimple, pimple, wimple

²simple

noun

Definition of SIMPLE

a : a person of humble birth : commoner <thought very little of anybody, simples or gentry — Virginia Woolf>

b (1) : a rude or credulous person : ignoramus (2) : a mentally retarded person

a : a medicinal plant

b : a vegetable drug having only one ingredient

: one component of a complex; specifically : an unanalyzable constituent

First Known Use of SIMPLE

14th century

SIMPLE Defined for Kids

simple

adjective sim·ple \ˈsim-pəl\

sim·plersim·plest

Definition of SIMPLE for Kids

: not hard to understand or solve <a simple task>

: ¹easy 1, straightforward <a simple explanation>

: lacking in education, experience, or intelligence <The queen was really a simple soul and always … had done nothing except state the overly obvious. — Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux>

: not complex or fancy <She wore simple clothing.>

: innocent 1, modest

: not rich or important <simple folk>

: without qualification : sheer <the simple truth>