simplicity

English

Etymology

From Middle English simplicite, from Old French simplicite, from Latin simplicitās, from simplex (“simple”). See simple. Partially displaced native English onefoldness.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɪmˈplɪsɪti/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪsɪti

Noun

simplicity (countable and uncountable, plural simplicities)

1. The state or quality of being simple
   1. The quality or state of being unmixed or uncompounded

      the simplicity of metals or of earths

   2. The quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts.

      the simplicity of a machine

      • 1951 July, “British Standard Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, pages 438-439:

        2. Simplicity, with the least number of working parts, all readily visible and accessible.

   3. Lack of sharpness of mind; lack of ability to think using complex ideas; stupidity
   4. Lack of artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury; plainness

      simplicity of dress, of style, or of language

      simplicity of diet

      simplicity of life

   5. Lack of subtlety or abstruseness; clarity

      the simplicity of a doctrine

      the simplicity of an explanation or a demonstration

   6. Lack of complication; efficiency.
      • 2013 August 3, “Boundary problems”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:

        Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art. Perhaps it is fitting that economists’ most-used metric, gross domestic product (GDP), is a tangle too. GDP measures the total value of output in an economic territory. Its apparent simplicity explains why it is scrutinised down to tenths of a percentage point every month.

2. (archaic, rare) An act or instance of foolishness.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 31, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     speaking of the great simplicity we commit, in leaving yong children under the government and charge of their fathers and parents.

Synonyms

• simpleness

Antonyms

• complexity
• complication

Related terms

• simple

Translations

quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths

• Arabic: بَسَاطَة f (basāṭa)
• Belarusian: прастата́ f (prastatá)
• Bulgarian: простота́ (bg) f (prostotá)
• Catalan: simplicitat f
• Czech: jednoduchost f
• Esperanto: simpleco
• French: simplicité (fr)
• Galician: simplicidade (gl) f
• Georgian: სიმარტივე (simarṭive), უბრალოება (ubraloeba)
• German: Einfachheit (de) f
• Greek: απλότητα (el) f (aplótita)
• Hungarian: egyszerűség (hu)
• Italian: semplicità (it)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ساکاری (sakarî)

• Old English: ānfealdnes f
• Portuguese: simplicidade (pt) f
• Russian: простота́ (ru) f (prostotá)
• Spanish: simplicidad (es) f
• Turkish: basitlik (tr)

quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts

• Aghwan: 𐕉𐔰𐕀𐔰𐕐 (ćaxaš)
• Bulgarian: простота́ (bg) f (prostotá)
• Catalan: simplicitat f
• French: simplicité (fr)
• Georgian: სიმარტივე (simarṭive)
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍆𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹 f (ainfalþei)
• Greek: απλότητα (el) f (aplótita)

  Ancient: ἁπλότης f (haplótēs)

• Hebrew: פשטות (he) f
• Italian: semplicità (it)
• Latin: simplicitas f
• Old English: ānfealdnes f
• Portuguese: simplicidade (pt) f
• Spanish: simplicidad (es) f
• Tagalog: kalaharan
• Vietnamese: tính đơn giản (vi)
• Volapük: balug (vo)

artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity

• Bulgarian: наивност (bg) f (naivnost)
• Georgian: უბრალოება (ubraloeba), გულუბრყვილობა (gulubrq̇viloba), მიამიტობა (miamiṭoba)
• Greek: αφέλεια (el) f (aféleia), απλοϊκότητα (el) f (aploïkótita)
• Portuguese: simplicidade (pt) f

freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury

• Bulgarian: простота́ (bg) f (prostotá)
• French: simplicité (fr)
• Greek: λιτότητα (el) f (litótita), απλότητα (el) f (aplótita)
• Italian: semplicità (it)
• Ottoman Turkish: ساده‌لك (sadelik)
• Portuguese: simplicidade (pt) f
• Spanish: sencillez (es), llano (es) m
• Vietnamese: tính đơn giản (vi)

freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness

• Georgian: უბრალოება (ubraloeba), სიმარტივე (simarṭive), სისადავე (sisadave)
• Greek: απλότητα (el) f (aplótita)
• Portuguese: simplicidade (pt) f

freedom from complication; efficiency

• French: simplicité (fr)
• Georgian: სიმარტივე (simarṭive), უბრალოება (ubraloeba), სისადავე (sisadave)
• Greek: απλότητα (el) f (aplótita)
• Italian: semplicità (it)
• Portuguese: simplicidade (pt) f
• Spanish: sencillez (es)
• Vietnamese: tính đơn giản (vi)

weakness of intellect; silliness; folly

• Bulgarian: простодушие (bg) n (prostodušie)
• Georgian: გონებაჩლუნგობა (gonebačlungoba)
• Greek: απλοϊκότητα (el) f (aploïkótita)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: فەقیر عەقڵی (feqîr 'eqllî)

• Manx: meecheeall f
• Portuguese: simplicidade (pt) f

References

• “simplicity”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “simplicity”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.