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simple

n.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈsɪmpəɫ// UK //sˈɪmpəl// sim·ple Archaic General-service Humorous Informal

n. easy to understand or do. You use this to describe something that is not complicated and has very few parts.

n. easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. Characterised by a lack of complexity or unnecessary ornamentation.


SIMPLE

The instructions for the game are very simple.

CONTEXTUAL

She prefers a simple breakfast of toast and coffee before she starts her busy workday.

COMPLEX

While the underlying mathematical proof is quite rigorous, the professor provided a simple analogy to help the students grasp the core concept.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Inherited from Middle English symple, simple, from Old French simple, from Latin simplex (“simple”, literally “onefold”) (as opposed to duplex (“double”, literally “twofold”)), from semel (“the same”) + plicō (“I fold”). See same and fold. Compare single, singular, simultaneous, etc. Partially displaced native English onefold.

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies or after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.

Pitfall

This task is more simple than that one.This task is simpler than that one.For one-syllable adjectives, use the '-er' suffix for comparatives rather than 'more'.

Idioms2 entries

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