simplicity
Americannoun
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the state, quality, or an instance of being simple.
-
freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts.
an organism of great simplicity.
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absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.; plainness.
a life of simplicity.
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freedom from deceit or guile; sincerity; artlessness; naturalness.
a simplicity of manner.
- Synonyms:
- honesty, directness, candor
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lack of mental acuteness or shrewdness.
Politics is not a field for simplicity about human nature.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of simplicity
1325–75; Middle English simplicite (< Old French simplicité ) < Latin simplicitās simpleness, equivalent to simplici- (stem of simplex ) simplex + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
Simplicity is a noun that means "the quality of being plain." The simplicity of your prom dress made you stand out in the sea of ruffles and sequins. Simplicity describes a lack of ornamentation, like a Christmas tree that is only decorated with white lights instead of being fancied up with lots of ornaments, tinsel and multi-colored bulbs. The noun simplicity also means "freedom from hardship or effort" like the simplicity of hanging out on your porch. Simplicity also describes something easy to accomplish or understand.
Vocabulary lists containing simplicity
'Tis A Gift To Be Simple: Words For National Simplicity Day
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"On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins
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poems about transcendental thinking
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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.
See Examples For:
A big secret of the ambitious McCreary’s success harks back to lessons of simplicity that Bernstein taught him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But let’s say your house will cost $500,000, for the sake of simplicity.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Part of this atlas's appeal lies in its simplicity.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
For years, Netflix’s co-founder Reed Hastings preached the importance of focus and simplicity to succeed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The disarming simplicity of the statement, combined with its quasi-Delphic character, has made the Farewell Address a perennial candidate for historical commentary.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Lyrical simplicities aside, her songs are weird, distinctive, beautiful, ranging, and complicated.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2021
Through much of the book, Mishra sounds downright giddy to be living through a time when “many of our exalted ideas about ourselves have collapsed” and “mind-numbing simplicities about democracy” are being shattered.
From New York Times ● Oct. 6, 2020
As he has done before in other work, Marshall reveals the complexities and the simplicities of color in this portrait.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 25, 2020
With 20 years of brand recognition on its side, “The SpongeBob Musical” sets the sincere simplicities of the series to song.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2019
When home from the hotel circuit, Howard’s longings were for the simplicities of small-town life: spending time with family and friends and working in the family’s poolroom.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
