oversimplify

verb

over·​sim·​pli·​fy ˌō-vər-ˈsim-plə-ˌfī How to pronounce oversimplify (audio)
oversimplified; oversimplifying; oversimplifies

transitive verb

: to simplify to such an extent as to bring about distortion, misunderstanding, or error

intransitive verb

: to engage in undue or extreme simplification
oversimplification noun

Examples of oversimplify in a Sentence

The article oversimplifies the problem. She tends to oversimplify things. We must resist the temptation to oversimplify.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But swing too far in the other direction and oversimplify it, ignore realism…then the result can feel hollow and even cartoonish. Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025 At the risk of oversimplifying and/or underestimating two solid defensive teams, these offenses are just in too good of a groove right now not to take the Over. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025 State regs oversimplify Many of the latest Zone 0 recommendations, such as prohibiting mulch and attached fences made of materials that can burn, stem from large-scale tests conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. Max Moritz, Mercury News, 5 June 2025 Alex Gold, Forbes Books Author. for Forbes Books AUTHOR POST | Paid Program Our understanding of how the world operates is often oversimplified. Dr. Alex Gold, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for oversimplify

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of oversimplify was in 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Oversimplify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversimplify. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

oversimplify

verb
over·​sim·​pli·​fy ˌō-vər-ˈsim-plə-ˌfī How to pronounce oversimplify (audio)
: to simplify something so much that the result is confusing, misleading, or wrong
oversimplification noun

More from Merriam-Webster on oversimplify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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