simplicity
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sim·plic·i·ty
(sĭm-plĭs′ĭ-tē)n. pl. sim·plic·i·ties
1. The property, condition, or quality of being simple or uncombined.
2. Absence of luxury or showiness; plainness.
3. Absence of affectation or pretense.
4.
a. Lack of sophistication or subtlety; naiveté.
b. Lack of good sense or intelligence; foolishness.
5.
a. Clarity of expression.
b. Austerity in embellishment.
[Middle English simplicite, from Old French, from Latin simplicitās, from simplex, simplic-, simple; see sem- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
simplicity
(sɪmˈplɪsɪtɪ)n
the quality or condition of being simple
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sim•plic•i•ty
(sɪmˈplɪs ɪ ti)n., pl. -ties.
1. the state, quality, or an instance of being simple.
2. freedom from complexity or intricacy.
3. absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.; plainness.
4. freedom from deceit or guile; sincerity; artlessness.
[1325–75; (< Old French) < Latin simplicitās simpleness, derivative of simplic- (s. of simplex) simplex]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Simplicity
See Also: EASE
- As devoid of any taste for luxury as a stone-deaf person of the sense of hearing —Isak Dinesen
- Crude as life among farming people —Daniel Berrigan
- Great men, like nature, use simple language —Marquis de Luc de Clappiers Vauvenargues
- I am simple … just like that broken bottle. I have no secrets —John Updike
- Physically as plain as a pike —Charles Johnson
A variation is to be “Plain as a pikestaff.”
- [Body as] plain as a cheap clothes-rack —Brian Moore
- Plain as a pine door —Sumner Locke Elliott
- Plain as black and white —Karl Shapiro
- (Hands) plain as blank pages —Gerald A. Browne
- Plain as English mutton —E. B. White
- Simple as a bucket —Paul Theroux
- Simple as a Hopper painting —Anon
- Simple as chessboards —George Bernard Shaw
- Simple as children’s cradle songs —Adrienne Rich
- (Words) simple as potatoes —Marge Piercy
- Simple as rain —Theodore Dreiser
- (Would that life were as) simple as sport —Rita Mae Brown
- Simple as the golden rule —Anon
- A very simple man … like a tree that has not many roots, but one tap-root that goes down deep —Willa Cather
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | simplicity - the quality of being simple or uncompounded; "the simplicity of a crystal" quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare complexity, complexness - the quality of being intricate and compounded; "he enjoyed the complexity of modern computers" |
| 2. | simplicity - a lack of penetration or subtlety; "they took advantage of her simplicity" | |
| 3. | simplicity - absence of affectation or pretense naturalness - the quality of being natural or based on natural principles; "he accepted the naturalness of death"; "the spontaneous naturalness of his manner" | |
| 4. |  simplicity - freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort; "he rose through the ranks with apparent ease"; "they put it into containers for ease of transportation"; "the very easiness of the deed held her back"effortlessness - the quality of requiring little effort; "such effortlessness is achieved only after hours of practice" quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare | |
| 5. | simplicity - lack of ornamentation; "the room was simply decorated with great restraint" plainness - the appearance of being plain and unpretentious |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
simplicity
noun
1. straightforwardness, ease, clarity, obviousness, easiness, clearness, absence of complications, elementariness The apparent simplicity of his plot is deceptive.
straightforwardness difficulty, complexity, intricacy, lack of clarity, complicatedness
straightforwardness difficulty, complexity, intricacy, lack of clarity, complicatedness
2. plainness, restraint, purity, clean lines, naturalness, lack of adornment fussy details that ruin the simplicity of the design
plainness decoration, embellishment, fussiness, ostentation, ornateness, elaborateness, fanciness
plainness decoration, embellishment, fussiness, ostentation, ornateness, elaborateness, fanciness
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
simplicity
nounLack of ostentation or pretension:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بَساطَه
jednoduchost
enkelhedsimpelhed
egyszerűség
einfaldleiki
preprostost
basitliksaflık
simplicity
[sɪmˈplɪsɪtɪ] N1. (= uncomplicated nature) [of solution, idea, plan] → sencillez f, simplicidad f
it's simplicity itself → es la sencillez personificada
it's simplicity itself → es la sencillez personificada
2. (= unpretentiousness) [of dress, style, food] → sencillez f
3. (= ingenuousness) [of person, way of life] → simpleza f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
simplicity
[sɪmˈplɪsəti] n [food, dress, lifestyle, design] → simplicité f
dressed with elegant simplicity → vêtu avec une élégante simplicité
dressed with elegant simplicity → vêtu avec une élégante simplicité
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
simplicity
n
→ Einfachheit f; (= unworldliness, lack of sophistication: of decor, dress) → Schlichtheit f, → Einfachheit f; it’s simplicity itself → das ist das Einfachste, das ist die einfachste Sache der Welt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
simple
(ˈsimpl) adjective1. not difficult; easy. a simple task.
2. not complicated or involved. The matter is not as simple as you think.
3. not fancy or unusual; plain. a simple dress/design; He leads a very simple life.
4. pure; mere. the simple truth.
5. trusting and easily cheated. She is too simple to see through his lies.
6. weak in the mind; not very intelligent. I'm afraid he's a bit simple, but he's good with animals.
ˈsimpleton (-tən) noun a foolish person.
simplicity (simˈplisəti) noun the state of being simple. The beauty of this idea is its simplicity; He answered with a child's simplicity.
ˌsimplifiˈcation noun1. the process of making simpler.
2. something made simpler; a simpler form. The Americans have made some simplifications in English spelling.
ˈsimplified adjective made less difficult or complicated. simplified language/tasks.
ˈsimplify (-plifai) verb to make simpler. Can you simplify your language a little?
ˈsimply adverb1. only. I do it simply for the money.
2. absolutely. simply beautiful.
3. in a simple manner. She was always very simply dressed.
ˌsimple-ˈminded adjective of low intelligence; stupid.
ˌsimple-ˈmindedness nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.