simplistic

adjective

sim·​plis·​tic sim-ˈpli-stik 

: excessively simple or simplified : treating a problem or subject with false simplicity by omitting or ignoring complicating factors or details

adequate, if occasionally simplistic, historical background

—Harlow Robinson

The simplistic headlines of the press can be very misleading.

—Matt Ridley

Choosing wars as demarcations of cultural time segments may seem simplistic, but there is little question that a new sensibility made its appearance in the United States after World War II.

—Naomi Rosenblum

simplistically

sim-ˈpli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

The facts of nature and of life are more apt to be complex than simple. Simplistic theories are generally one-sided and partial, wrote the American clergyman James Freeman Clarke in the 19th century, nicely illustrating the difference between plain, ordinary simple and the then-new adjective simplistic. Simplistic is generally synonymous with oversimplified, but we didn't have the verb oversimplify and its participle oversimplified until well into the 20th century. Simplistic is sometimes used in the neutral sense of "not complicated" (in which case it is synonymous with simple) but this borders on misuse-simplistic is generally understood to be pejorative.

Examples of simplistic in a Sentence

a simplistic approach to a complicated problem

His interpretation of the theory was too simplistic.

Recent Examples on the Web

Starring Jordana Brewster and Scott Speedman as a couple gifted luxe new digs with the aforementioned proviso, Vaughn Stein’s thriller is too simplistic and implausible to provide any chills. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024

His most simplistic films are criticized for giving heroes too much credit for reaching bare minimum levels of empathy far too late in life, while his best works showcase our capacity for prejudice so fully that its limitations and shortcomings are placed on full display. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2024

This time though, the windows featured more simplistic patterns and nature scenes. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2024

However, the numerous ways that impacts can alter the conditions on a planet suggest our simplistic sentiment that impacts are bad for life needs further thought. —Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

simplistic

adjective

sim·​plis·​tic sim-ˈplis-tik 

1

: simple sense 8

2

: characterized by too much simplicity : not involving or dealing with related complexities

a simplistic explanation of the situation

simplistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb