simple

sim·ple (s

adj. sim·pler, sim·plest

1. Having or composed of only one thing, element, or part. See Synonyms at pure.

2. Not involved or complicated; easy: a simple task. See Synonyms at easy.

3. Being without additions or modifications; mere: a simple "yes" or "no."

4. Having little or no ornamentation; not embellished or adorned: a simple dress.

5. Not elaborate, elegant, or luxurious. See Synonyms at plain.

6. Unassuming or unpretentious; not affected.

a. Having or manifesting little sense or intelligence.

b. Uneducated; ignorant.

c. Unworldly or unsophisticated. See Synonyms at naive.

8. Not guileful or deceitful; sincere.

9. Humble or lowly in condition or rank: a simple woodcutter.

10. Ordinary or common: a simple head cold.

11.

a. Being a fundamental or rudimentary element; basic.

b. Not important or significant; trivial.

12. Biology Having no divisions or branches; not compound: a simple leaf; a simple eye or lens.

13. Music Being without figuration or elaboration: a simple tone.

1. A single component of a complex, especially one that is unanalyzable.

2. A fool; a simpleton.

3. A person of humble birth or condition.

4. A medicinal plant or the medicine obtained from it.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin simplus; see sem-¹ in Indo-European roots and from simplex; see simplex.]

simple·ness n.

simple

Adjective

1. easy to understand or do: in simple English, simple exercises

2. plain and not elaborate: a simple red skirt, a simple answer

3. not combined or complex: simple diagnostic equipment

4. leading an uncomplicated life: I am a simple man myself

5. sincere or frank: a simple apology

6. of humble background: the simple country girl

7. Informal mentally retarded

8. straightforward: a simple matter of choice

9. Music denoting a time where the number of beats per bar may be two, three, or four [Latin simplex plain]

simplicity n

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	simple - any herbaceous plant having medicinal properties archaicism, archaism - the use of an archaic expression herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
	2.	simple - a person lacking intelligence or common sense simpleton individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" airhead - a flighty scatterbrained simpleton; "she's a total airhead"; "every airhead on a big salary rushed out to buy one" dimwit, doofus, nitwit, half-wit - a stupid incompetent person dingbat - a silly empty-headed person; "you would be a dingbat even to try it"; "yet here he was with an upper class dingbat who just happened to be married to his sister" boob, booby, pinhead, dope, dumbbell, dummy - an ignorant or foolish person fool, muggins, saphead, tomfool, sap - a person who lacks good judgment changeling, cretin, half-wit, idiot, imbecile, moron, retard - a person of subnormal intelligence idiot savant - person who is mentally retarded in general but who displays remarkable aptitude in some limited field (usually involving memory) nebbech, nebbish - (Yiddish) a timid unfortunate simpleton nincompoop, ninny, poop - a stupid foolish person forgetful person, scatterbrain - a flighty and disorganized person schlemiel, shlemiel - (Yiddish) a dolt who is a habitual bungler schlep, schlepper, shlep, shlepper - (Yiddish) an awkward and stupid person schnook, shnook - (Yiddish) a gullible simpleton more to be pitied than despised; "don't be such an apologetic shnook" sheep - a timid defenseless simpleton who is readily preyed upon space cadet - someone who seems unable to respond appropriately to reality (as if under the influence of some narcotic drug) lame, square - someone who doesn't understand what is going on dolt, dullard, pillock, poor fish, pudden-head, pudding head, stupe, stupid, stupid person - a person who is not very bright; "The economy, stupid!" subnormal - a person of less than normal intelligence twerp, twirp, twit - someone who is regarded as contemptible
Adj.	1.	simple - having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved; "a simple problem"; "simple mechanisms"; "a simple design"; "a simple substance" easy - posing no difficulty; requiring little effort; "an easy job"; "an easy problem"; "an easy victory"; "the house is easy to heat"; "satisfied with easy answers"; "took the easy way out of his dilemma" plain - not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building" unsubdivided, simple - (botany) of leaf shapes; of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions complex - complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts; "a complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody"; "a complex mass of diverse laws and customs"
	2.	simple - easy and not involved or complicated; "an elementary problem in statistics"; "elementary, my dear Watson"; "a simple game"; "found an uncomplicated solution to the problem" elementary, unproblematic, uncomplicated easy - posing no difficulty; requiring little effort; "an easy job"; "an easy problem"; "an easy victory"; "the house is easy to heat"; "satisfied with easy answers"; "took the easy way out of his dilemma"
	3.	simple - apart from anything else; without additions or modifications; "only the bare facts"; "shocked by the mere idea"; "the simple passage of time was enough"; "the simple truth" mere, bare plain - not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building"
	4.	simple - exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity; "childlike trust"; "dewy-eyed innocence"; "listened in round-eyed wonder" dewy-eyed, round-eyed, wide-eyed, childlike naif, naive - marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience; "a teenager's naive ignorance of life"; "the naive assumption that things can only get better"; "this naive simple creature with wide friendly eyes so eager to believe appearances"
	5.	simple - lacking mental capacity and subtlety dim-witted, simple-minded retarded - relatively slow in mental or emotional or physical development; "providing a secure and sometimes happy life for the retarded"
	6.	simple - (botany) of leaf shapes; of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions unsubdivided phytology, botany - the branch of biology that studies plants simple - having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved; "a simple problem"; "simple mechanisms"; "a simple design"; "a simple substance" smooth - of the margin of a leaf shape; not broken up into teeth compound - composed of more than one part; "compound leaves are composed of several lobes; "compound flower heads"
	7.	simple - unornamented; "a simple country schoolhouse"; "her black dress--simple to austerity" plain - not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building"