simplicity en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /sɪmˈplɪsɪti/
Etymology
From Middle English simplicite, from Old French simplicite, from Latin simplicitās, from simplex (“simple”). See simple. By surface analysis, simple + -icity. Partially displaced native English onefoldness.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) The state or quality of being simple
simplicity of dress, of style, or of language
simplicity of diet
simplicity of life
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(countable, uncountable) The state or quality of being simple ▸ The quality or state of being unmixed or uncompounded
the simplicity of metals or of earths
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(countable, uncountable) The state or quality of being simple ▸ The quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts.
the simplicity of a machine
2. Simplicity, with the least number of working parts, all readily visible and accessible.
1951 July, “British Standard Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, pages 438-439:
- (countable, uncountable) The state or quality of being simple ▸ Lack of sharpness of mind; lack of ability to think using complex ideas; stupidity
- (countable, uncountable) The state or quality of being simple ▸ Lack of artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury; plainness
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(countable, uncountable) The state or quality of being simple ▸ Lack of subtlety or abstruseness; clarity
the simplicity of an explanation or a demonstration
the simplicity of a doctrine
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(countable, uncountable) The state or quality of being simple ▸ Lack of complication; efficiency.
Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art. Perhaps it is fitting that economists’ most-used metric, gross domestic product (GDP), is a tangle too. GDP measures the total value of output in an economic territory. Its apparent simplicity explains why it is scrutinised down to tenths of a percentage point every month.
2013 August 3, “Boundary problems”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2023:
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(archaic, countable, rare, uncountable) An act or instance of foolishness.
speaking of the great simplicity we commit, in leaving yong children under the government and charge of their fathers and parents.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 31, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| simplicities | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
oversimplicity · unsimplicity · semisimplicity · simplicity itself · supersimplicity
Relateds
Synonyms
chastity · chastity · chastity · chastity · chastity · chastity · simpleness · chastity
Translations (104)
vi tính đơn giản (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · mk едноставност (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · es llano (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · ang ānfealdnes (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · pt simplicidade (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ka უბრალოება (freedom from complication; efficiency) · fi yksinkertaisuus (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · ka მიამიტობა (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · ca simplicitat (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · ota قولای (freedom from complication; efficiency) · ca simplicitat (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ar بَسَاطَة (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · pt simplicidade (freedom from complication; efficiency) · bg простота́ (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · pt simplicidade (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · es simplicidad (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · es simplicidad (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · enm simplicite (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · pt simplicidade (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · mk простодушност (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · hi सुगमता (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ka სიმარტივე (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · mk едноставност (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · grc ἁπλότης (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · el απλότητα (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · ka გონებაჩლუნგობა (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · be прастата́ (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · hi सरलता (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · it semplicità (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · bg простота́ (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · de Einfachheit (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · mk едноставност (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · hu egyszerűség (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · ka უბრალოება (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · ru простота́ (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · el απλότητα (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ota سادهلك (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · bg наивност (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · ka უბრალოება (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · fi paljaus (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · ka სიმარტივე (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · vo balug (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ka სისადავე (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · ka უბრალოება (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · fi koruttomuus (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · fi yksinkertaisuus (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · tl kalaharan (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · gv meecheeall (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · el απλότητα (freedom from complication; efficiency) · fr simplicité (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ka სიმარტივე (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · vi tính đơn giản (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · fr simplicité (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · gl simplicidade (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · he פשטות (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ota سداجت (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · el απλοϊκότητα (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · fr simplicité (freedom from complication; efficiency) · el απλότητα (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · hi सरलता (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · th ความเรียบง่าย (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · el απλότητα (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · ka სიმარტივე (freedom from complication; efficiency) · pt simplicidade (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · sv enkelhet (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · sv enkelhet (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · got 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍆𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹 (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · ka გულუბრყვილობა (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · vi tính đơn giản (freedom from complication; efficiency) · el αφέλεια (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · gv meecheeallid (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · el απλοϊκότητα (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · fi yksinkertaisuus (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · eo simpleco (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · fi selkeys (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · cs jednoduchost (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · es sencillez (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · xag 𐕉𐔰𐕀𐔰𐕐 (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · fi yksinkertaisuus (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · sv enkelhet (freedom from complication; efficiency) · th ความไม่ยุ่งยาก (freedom from complication; efficiency) · tr basitlik (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · it semplicità (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · pt simplicidade (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · bg простодушие (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · ka სისადავე (freedom from complication; efficiency) · es sencillez (freedom from complication; efficiency) · mk простодушност (artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity) · ckb فەقیر عەقڵی (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · ckb ساکاری (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · pt simplicidade (weakness of intellect; silliness; folly) · eo malkomplikeco (freedom from complication; efficiency) · th ความเรียบง่าย (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · bg простота́ (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · fi yksinkertaisuus (freedom from complication; efficiency) · fr simplicité (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · fi yksinkertaisuus (freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness) · it semplicità (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · fi yksinkertaisuus (quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths) · mk едноставност (freedom from complication; efficiency) · it semplicità (freedom from complication; efficiency) · el λιτότητα (freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury) · ang ānfealdnes (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts) · la simplicitas (quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts)