simple

American  

[sim-puhl] / ˈsɪm pəl /

adjective

• simpler,
  comparative
• simplest
  superlative

1. easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: simple tools.

   a simple matter;

   simple tools.

   Synonyms:

   lucid, unmistakable, understandable, intelligible, clear

2. not elaborate or artificial; plain.

   a simple style.

   Synonyms:

   neat, unembellished, natural

3. not ornate or luxurious; unadorned.

   a simple gown.

4. unaffected; unassuming; modest.

   a simple manner.

5. not complicated.

   a simple design.

6. not complex or compound; single

7. occurring or considered alone; mere; bare.

   the simple truth;

   a simple fact.

8. free of deceit or guile; sincere; unconditional.

   a frank, simple answer.

   Synonyms:

   ingenuous, guileless, artless

9. common or ordinary.

   a simple soldier.

10. not grand or sophisticated; unpretentious.

    a simple way of life.

11. humble or lowly.

    simple folk.

12. inconsequential or rudimentary.

    Synonyms:

    unnecessary, nonessential, trivial, trifling

13. unlearned; ignorant.

    Synonyms:

    stupid, untutored

14. lacking mental acuteness or sense.

    a simple way of thinking.

15. unsophisticated; naive; credulous.

16. simpleminded.

17. Chemistry.

    1. composed of only one substance or element.

       a simple substance.

    2. not mixed.

18. Botany. not divided into parts: a simple stem.

    a simple leaf;

    a simple stem.

19. Zoology. not compound.

    a simple ascidian.

20. Music. uncompounded or without overtones; single.

    simple tone.

21. Grammar. having only the head without modifying elements included.

    The simple subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “pony.”

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

23. Mathematics. linear.

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

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noun

1. an ignorant, foolish, or gullible person.

2. something simple, unmixed, or uncompounded.

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

4. a person of humble origins; commoner.

5. an herb or other plant used for medicinal purposes.

   country simples.

simple British  

/ ˈsɪmpəl /

adjective

1. not involved or complicated; easy to understand or do

   a simple problem

2. plain; unadorned

   a simple dress

3. consisting of one element or part only; not combined or complex

   a simple mechanism

4. unaffected or unpretentious

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

5. not guileful; sincere; frank

   her simple explanation was readily accepted

6. of humble condition or rank

   the peasant was of simple birth

7. weak in intelligence; feeble-minded

8. (prenominal) without additions or modifications; mere

   the witness told the simple truth

9. (prenomina) ordinary or straightforward

   a simple case of mumps

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

11. maths

    1. (of a fraction) containing only integers

    2. (of an equation) containing variables to the first power only; linear

    3. (of a root of an equation) occurring only once; not multiple

12. biology

    1. not divided into parts

       a simple leaf

       a simple eye

    2. formed from only one ovary

       simple fruit

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

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noun

1. a simpleton; fool

2. a plant, esp a herbaceous plant, having medicinal properties

simple Idioms  

1. see pure and simple.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of simple? Simple describes something as being easy to understand or do, as being plain or not elaborate, or as being ordinary or common. The word simple has many other senses as an adjective and a noun. If something is simple, it involves little challenge or will be really easy. For example, counting to five is a simple task for most adults. Spoons and forks are simple eating tools, without any complex parts. In this sense, simple is a synonym of words such as easy and uncomplicated. Real-life examples: Young students start with simple subjects, such as addition, before learning harder ones, such as multiplication. An untied shoelace is a simple problem to solve for most adults. Most young people find using a computer to be really simple. Used in a sentence: I made dinner with a simple recipe designed for new cooks. Another sense of simple describes something as being plain and lacking flourishes or embellishments. For example, a simple shirt may be plain grey or white and not have any designs or logos on it. Used in a sentence: She wore a simple dress to the birthday party, with no bows or ruffles.  Simple can also describe something as being ordinary, mundane, or humble. Real-life examples: Most pets lead simple lives of eating and sleeping. Some couples have simple weddings with no band, fireworks, or colorful decorations. A simple job is one you can do without thinking hard. Used in a sentence: After winning the championship, I retired to live a simple life as a farmer.

Commonly Confused

See simplistic.

Synonym Usage

See homely.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• oversimpleness
  noun
• simpleness
  noun
• unsimpleness
  noun
• oversimple
  adjective
• subsimple
  adjective
• ultrasimple
  adjective
• unsimple
  adjective
• oversimply
  adverb
• unsimply
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• simpler
  comparative
• simplest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of simple

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English adjective simple, simpel(le), from Old French simple, sinple, from Latin simplus “simple” (in simpla pecunia “simple fee or sum”), equivalent to sim- “one” + -plus, as in duplus “double”; Middle English noun “commoner,” derivative of the adjective; see simplex, duple, double; see also -fold; cognate with Greek háplos ( see haplo-);

Explanation

Simple refers to something that's easy and uncomplicated, without too many steps to follow. Simple comes from the Latin word for single (simplus). Simple things are often solo, like a simple dress or directions with one step. A teacher might advise you to KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). What could be bad about a word for something easy? Well, it's not that simple. It can be an insult. If you call your little brother simple when he can't tie his shoes, you mean he isn't very smart. Rude!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

simple simpler simplest

He said that the Security Council "must understand a simple truth: we are not going anywhere."

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

"Behind every one of these campaigns is a simple argument... that a ballot is worth casting even when you know how the night ends," he writes on his website.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Eric Baker and Jeff Fluhr founded StubHub in 2000 on a simple premise: buying secondhand tickets shouldn’t feel like a back-alley shakedown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

A simple, “I found some cash in the washing machine. Did you lose any money?” would do it.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Her butter-colored hair had been combed into a simple ponytail.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

The family typically spends a little over a month each year in Europe, and having residency in a local country would make travel simpler and allow them to stay for longer periods of time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

There are currently simpler ways for intelligence agencies or cybercriminals to monitor people, Felix Morsbach notes.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

“The macro debate remains complicated, but the message from corporate America is much simpler: Earnings are better than expected, and by a wide margin,” said Rubner.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

The top court has reminded them to ask a simpler one: how do people walk?

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Indeed, she stopped him several times and begged him to repeat his statements in simpler language so that Gloria might understand.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

The simplest approach would be to amend the statutory language to stipulate that, similar to the GAO, the Federal Reserve is “an instrumentality of the United States Government independent of the executive departments.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The simplest way to get a general idea of whether you’ve saved enough for retirement is to start with one basic equation: Income minus spending equals what you need from your savings.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Walking, Justice PS Narasimha wrote, is "the simplest of the simple human activity, inextricably connected to life".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Damon is the simplest and most reliable vehicle to tell us about a complicated man, as the highly lauded translator Emily Wilson describes Odysseus.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026

Even the simplest decisions seemed wrought with impossibly high stakes.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

Related Words

• clean
• elementary
• plain
• quiet
• smooth
• straightforward
• transparent
• uncomplicated