facile

American  

[fas-il, -ahyl] / ˈfæs ɪl, -aɪl /

adjective

1. moving, acting, working, proceeding, etc., with ease, sometimes with superficiality.

   facile fingers; a facile mind.

   Synonyms:

   glib, fluent, flowing, smooth

2. easily done, performed, used, etc..

   a facile victory; a facile method.

   Synonyms:

   superficial

3. easy or unconstrained, as manners or persons.

   Synonyms:

   urbane, suave, bland

4. affable, agreeable, or complaisant; easily influenced.

   a facile temperament; facile people.

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facile British  

/ ˈfæsaɪl /

adjective

1. easy to perform or achieve

2. working or moving easily or smoothly

3. without depth; superficial

   a facile solution

4. archaic relaxed in manner; easygoing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• facileness
  noun
• facilely
  adverb
• overfacile
  adjective
• unfacilely
  adverb
• unfacile
  adjective
• overfacilely
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of facile

1475–85; < Latin facilis that can be done, easy, equivalent to fac ( ere ) to do, make + -ilis -ile

Explanation

If someone does something easily, or shows ease, it is described as facile in a good way, but if someone takes the easy way out and shows a lack of thought or care, it is facile in a bad way. While it is a lovely sounding French word, facile is both a compliment and an insult depending on how it's used. Something that shows ready skill is facile, such as being facile with text messaging. But if something is too simple and superficial, or shows little care, it can also be called facile. "Being too cowardly to tell the truth and admit he didn't do it, he used the facile and sarcastic excuse that the dog ate his homework."

Related Words

• effortless
• glib
• hasty