Dictionary

simplistic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /sɪmˈplɪstɪk/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-der. Latin sem- Proto-Italic *-plosder. Latin -plus Latin simplusbor. Old French simplebor. Middle English symple English simple Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English -istic English simplistic From simple + -istic.

Meanings

1. Overly simple.
   • At one time, I was extremely skeptical of such simplistic medicine until observing a reflexologist at work and finding that many of the patients showed steady improvement in cases where official medical practitioners had recommended surgery or prescribed the usual quantum of pills. Along with the foot massage, the reflexologist recommended herbal teas to her clients. 2012, Wolf D. Storl, The Herbal Lore of Wise Women and Wortcunners, page 97:
   • This simplistic method of using herbs isolates the disease from the person and the chemical aspects of an herb from its overall individual therapeutic effects. 2013, Lesley Tierra, Healing with the Herbs of Life:
   • It might also be worth taking the simplistic claims of some of the herbal health books with just a bit more than a pinch of salt: if you do decide to try feverfew tea, or a liver flush mixture, do it for yourself, not for someone trying to sell a magazine or book. 2013, Andrew Vickers, Complementary medicine and disability, page 220:
2. In a manner that simplifies a concept or issue so that its nuances and complexities are lost or important details are overlooked.
   • "There are some things that RFK Jr. gets right," says former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden. "We do have a chronic disease crisis in this country, but we need to avoid simplistic solutions and stick with the science." 2024 November 15, Will Stone, Allison Aubrey, “RFK Jr. wants to 'Make America Healthy Again.' He could face a lot of pushback”, in NPR, archived from the original on 12 Mar 2025:
   • The cliché is not untrue, but, like all generalisations, it distorts reality so that overly simplistic judgments have to be tempered by a few qualifications. Jacques Lambert (1967), Latin America: Social Structure and Political Institutions, University of California Press, →ISBN, pages 107–
   • (Mao's) reliance on simplistic Soviet interpretations was reflected in his dismissal of Hitler as "a mere will-less puppet of the reactionary capitalists." China Crosses the Yalu: The Decision to Enter the Korean War, Stanford University Press, 1968, →ISBN, pages 211–

Forms

Deriveds

oversimplistically · simplistically · simplisticness · unsimplistic · simplism · oversimplistic

Relateds

simplistically · simplified · simplism · simpleton

Translations (16)

es simplista (overly simple) · he פשטני (overly simple) · bg опростенчески (overly simple) · fi simplistinen (overly simple) · it semplicista (overly simple) · nl simplistisch (overly simple) · gl simplista (overly simple) · pt simplista (overly simple) · de stark vereinfacht (overly simple) · it semplicistica (overly simple) · ca simplista (overly simple) · de simplistisch (overly simple) · fi yliyksinkertaistettu (overly simple) · fr simpliste (overly simple) · pt simplicista (overly simple) · it semplicistico (overly simple)