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oversimplify

American  
[oh-ver-sim-pluh-fahy] / ˌoʊ vərˈsɪm pləˌfaɪ /

verb (used with or without object)

oversimplified, oversimplifying

  1. to simplify to the point of error, distortion, or misrepresentation.

oversimplify British  
/ ˌəʊvəˈsɪmplɪˌfaɪ /

verb

  1. to simplify (something) to the point of distortion or error

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of oversimplify

First recorded in 1920–25; over- + simplify

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Push to Oversimplify at Climate Panel 484 comments 2.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2010

Push to Oversimplify at Climate Panel 481 comments 2.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2010

Push to Oversimplify at Climate Panel 468 comments 3.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.