simple

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *sem-
Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-der.
Latin sem-
Proto-Italic *-plosder.
Latin -plus
Latin simpluslbor.
Old French simplebor.
Middle English symple
English simple

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

    Pronunciation

    Adjective

    simple (comparative simpler or more simple, superlative simplest or most simple)

    2. Uncomplicated; lacking complexity; taken by itself, with nothing added.
      Synonyms: onefold; see also Thesaurus:bare-bones
      Antonym: subtle
      • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
        We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic?
      • 1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 253:
        Primitive people, colossally ignorant of the cause of disease and of curative processes, attributed to supernatural agencies any causes and effects for which their simple minds could give no natural explanations.
      • 2006, M. Eto et al., “Solitons in Supersymmetric Gauge Theories”, in Particles, Strings and Cosmology‎[1], →ISBN, page 266:
        The simplest soliton is the domain wall with co-dimension one, and the next simplest is the vortex with co-dimension two, whereas the co-dimension three (four) soliton is called monopole (instanton).
      • 2026 March 15, Genevieve Ko, “‘This Is the Best Dish I Have Ever Made From NYT Cooking’”, in The New York Times‎[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 March 2026:
        The importance of Nowruz is reflected in an elaborate sabzi polo, the herbed rice capped with a crunchy tahdig, the crust formed from lettuce, rice mixed with yogurt or lavash or another thin flatbread. On Wednesday night, I opted for sheveed polo, a simpler and quicker dill rice, but I can’t wait to nail that crunchy tahdig tonight.
    4. Easy; not difficult.
      Synonyms: basic, trivial; see also Thesaurus:easy
      Antonyms: challenging, hard; see also Thesaurus:difficult
      • 2001, Sydney I. Landau, Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 167:
        There is no simple way to define precisely a complex arrangement of parts, however homely the object may appear to be.
      • 2021, Luis Atencio, The Joy of JavaScript, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 104:
        Point-free coding is a byproduct of adopting declarative programming. You can use point-free coding without FP. But because point-free is all about improving the readability of code at a glance and making it simpler to parse, having the guarantees imposed by FP furthers this cause.
    5. Without ornamentation; plain.
      Synonyms: austere, plain; see also Thesaurus:unadorned
      Antonyms: flashy, tinselly; see also Thesaurus:gaudy
    6. Free from duplicity; guileless, innocent, straightforward.
      Synonyms: sincere, unaffected; see also Thesaurus:honest, Thesaurus:naive
      Antonyms: crafty, guileful; see also Thesaurus:wily
      • 1605, Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], The Dutch Courtezan. […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for Iohn Hodgets, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
        Full many fine men go upon my score, as simple as I stand here, and I trust them.
      • 1812, Lord Byron, “Canto I”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, London: […] [F]or John Murray, […]; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and John Cumming, Dublin; by Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, stanza XXXVI:
        Must thou trust Tradition's simple tongue?
      • 1838 July 24, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Literary Ethics. An Oration Delivered before the Literary Societies of Dartmouth College, July 24, 1838”, in Nature, Addresses, and Lectures (Emerson’s Complete Works; I), Riverside edition, London: The Waverley Book Company, published 1883, →OCLC, page 160:
        Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great. The vision of genius comes by renouncing the too officious activity of the understanding, and giving leave and amplest privilege to the spontaneous sentiment.
    7. Undistinguished in social condition; of no special rank.
      Synonyms: common, low-born, ordinary, vulgar
      Antonyms: eminent, gentle, notable, highborn, well-born
    8. (archaic) Trivial; insignificant.
      Synonyms: inconsequential; see also Thesaurus:insignificant
      Antonyms: significant; see also Thesaurus:important
      • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum LV”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book X (in Middle English), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
        ‘That was a symple cause,’ seyde Sir Trystram, ‘for to sle a good knyght for seyynge well by his maystir.’
        ‘That was a simple cause,’ said Sir Tristram, ‘for to slay a good knight for to say well by his master.’
    9. (now colloquial, euphemistic) Feeble-minded; foolish.
      Synonyms: dim-witted, unwise; see also Thesaurus:foolish, Thesaurus:stupid
      Antonyms: astute, quick-witted; see also Thesaurus:wise
    10. (heading, technical) Structurally uncomplicated.
      Synonyms: basic, plain, uncomplex, uncomplicated
      Antonyms: complex, compound, complicated
      1. (chemistry, pharmacology) Consisting of one single substance; uncompounded.
      2. (algebra, loosely, of an algebraic structure) Being non-trivial, and admitting no proper non-trivial quotients.
        1. (group theory, of a group) Being non-trivial, and having no proper non-trivial normal subgroups (equivalently, no proper non-trivial quotient groups).
        2. (module theory, of a module) Being non-trivial, and having no proper non-trivial submodules (equivalently, no proper non-trivial quotient modules).
        3. (ring theory, of a ring) Being non-zero, and having no proper non-zero two-sided ideals (equivalently, no proper non-trivial quotient rings). For commutative rings, this definition coincides with that of a field.
        4. (universal algebra, of an algebraic structure) Containing more than one element, and such that the only congruences on the structure are the diagonal relation (the equivalence relation a≡b⟺a=b) and the universal relation (the equivalence relation such that a≡b for all a,b). Equivalently, containing more than one element and having no proper non-trivial quotient algebras.
        5. (category theory, of an object in a category with a terminal object) Being non-isomorphic to the terminal object, and such that its only quotient objects (up to isomorphism) are the terminal object and itself.
      3. (algebra, of a Lie algebra) Being non-abelian and having no proper non-zero ideals. (Note that this is non-equivalent to the usual algebra sense; in particular, the abelian Lie algebra of dimension 1 over any given field is non-trivial and has no proper non-zero ideals, but is by convention not considered simple.)
      4. (mathematics, real analysis, measure theory, of a real-valued function) Equal to a finite linear combination of indicator functions on measurable sets.
      5. (botany) Not compound, but possibly lobed.
      6. (of a steam engine) Using steam only once in its cylinders, in contrast to a compound engine, where steam is used more than once in high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders.
        • 1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co., page 6:
          Chesapeake & Ohio turned to simple articulateds, for instance, simply because its Alleghany tunnels would not accommodate the low-pressure forward cylinders of larger compounds.
      7. (zoology) Consisting of a single individual or zooid; not compound.
        a simple ascidian
      8. (mineralogy) Homogenous.
    11. (obsolete) Mere; not other than; being only.
      Synonyms: alone, mere, only, very; see also Thesaurus:mere
      • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
        A medicine […] whose simple touch / Is powerful to araise King Pepin.
      • 1859, Ned Buntline, chapter XCIV, in Seawaif; Or, The Terror of the Coast, New York: Frederic A. Brady, page 117:
        "Yes; as well versed in the art of intrigue, I should think, as if she had been brought up in attendance in a court, instead of being a simple butler's daughter, in a gloomy old pile like this!"

    Derived terms

    Translations

    Interjection

    simple

    1. Used to indicate that something is easy to do or to understand; easy!
      Synonym: (UK, humorous, informal) simples

    Translations

    Noun

    simple (plural simples)

    1. (pharmacology) A herbal preparation made from one plant, as opposed to something made from more than one plant.
      • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare,  […] [T]he Merrie Wiues of Windsor. […] (First Quarto), London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for Arthur Ihonson, […], published 1602, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
        Dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind.
      • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 37, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
        I know there are some simples, which in operation are moistening and some drying.
      • a. 1700 (date written), William Temple, “Of Health and Long-life”, in Miscellanea. The Third Part. […], London: […] Jonathan Swift, […] Benjamin Tooke, […], published 1701, →OCLC, pages 183–184:
        [W]hat Virtue there is in this Remedy lies in the naked Simple it ſelf, as it comes over from the Indies, and in the Choice of that which is leaſt dried, or periſhed by the Voyage.
      • 1922 February 2, James Joyce, Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC:
        The first fellow that picked an herb to cure himself had a bit of pluck. Simples. Want to be careful.
      • 2003, Dolores Stewart Riccio, Charmed Circle, Kensington Books, →ISBN, page 12:
        The venerable carryall, formerly brimming with all manner of esoteric pamphlets and witch's simples, now overflowed with a cascade of soft toys, juice bottles, tissues, linen books for infants, […]
    2. (obsolete, by extension) A physician.
    3. (logic) A simple or atomic proposition.
      • 2021 September 14, Michael David Stevens, 10:41 from the start, in Do Chairs Exist?‎[3]:
        Peter van Inwagen, for example, believes that there are no ordinary objects, no chairs or shirts or shoes. Right here there are just some simples — atoms or whatever — arranged shoe-wise.
    4. (obsolete) Something not mixed or compounded.
    5. (weaving) A drawloom.
    6. (weaving) Part of the apparatus for raising the heddles of a drawloom.
    7. (Roman Catholicism) A feast which is not a double or a semidouble.

    Translations

    Verb

    simple (third-person singular simple present simples, present participle simpling, simple past and past participle simpled)

    1. (transitive, intransitive, archaic) To gather simples, i.e. medicinal herbs.

    Derived terms

    Anagrams

    Asturian

    Etymology

    Borrowed from Latin simplex.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈsimple/ [ˈsĩm.ple]
    • Rhymes: -imple
    • Syllabification: sim‧ple

    Adjective

    simple (epicene, plural simples)

    1. simple (uncomplicated)
      Synonym: cenciellu

    Catalan

    Etymology

    Borrowed from Latin simplus.

    Pronunciation

    Adjective

    simple m or f (masculine and feminine plural simples)

    1. simple (uncomplicated)
      Synonym: senzill
    2. single (not divided into parts)

    Derived terms

    Further reading

    Central Bikol

    Etymology

    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *sem-
    Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-der.
    Latin sem-
    Proto-Indo-European *pel-der.?
    Latin -plex
    Latin simplexlbor.
    Spanish simplebor.
    Central Bikol simple

      Borrowed from Spanish simple.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /ˈsimple/ [ˈsim.pl̪e]
      • Hyphenation: sim‧ple

      Adjective

      símple (intensified simplehon, Basahan spelling ᜐᜒᜋ᜔ᜉ᜔ᜎᜒ)

      1. simple, plain
      2. unadorned
      3. easy
        Synonyms: madali, pasil

      Derived terms

      • kasimplehan
      • pagkasimple
      • simplisidad

      Chavacano

      Etymology

      Inherited from Spanish simple (“simple”).

      Pronunciation

      • Hyphenation: sim‧ple

      Adjective

      simple

      1. simple

      Esperanto

      Etymology

      Etymology tree
      Esperanto simpla
      Proto-Italic *-ēd
      Old Latin -ēd
      Latin -ebor.
      Russian -е (-e)influ.
      ▲
      Polish -einflu.
      Czech -einflu.
      Esperanto -e
      Esperanto simple

        From simpla + -e.

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /ˈsimple/
        • Audio 1:(file)
        • Audio 2:(file)
        • Rhymes: -imple
        • Syllabification: sim‧ple

        Adverb

        simple

        1. simply

        Further reading

        French

        Etymology

        Inherited from Old French, borrowed from Latin simplex.

        Pronunciation

        Adjective

        French numbers (edit)
        10
        1 2  →  10  → 
            Cardinal: un
            Ordinal: premier
            Ordinal abbreviation: 1er
            Multiplier: simple
            Fractional: entier
        French Wikipedia article on 1

        simple (plural simples)

        1. single
          comptabilité en partie simple ― single-entry bookkeeping
        2. simple, straightforward, easy
          Antonyms: complexe, compliqué
          Near-synonym: facile
          simple comme bonjour ― easy as pie
        3. simple, plain, unsophisticated
          un homme simple ― a simple man
        4. (grammar) synthetic; non analytic
          Coordinate terms: composé, antérieur
          futur simple ― simple future
          passé simple ― past historic tense (literally, “simple past”)
        5. (grammar)
          Coordinate term: complexe
          phrase simple ― simple sentence
        6. (chemistry) simple, uncompounded
          Coordinate term: composé
          corps simple ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
        7. one-way
          un aller simple ― a one-way ticket
          un billet simple ― a one-way ticket
        8. mere
          un simple soldat ― a mere soldier

        Derived terms

        Derived terms

        Descendants

        • Haitian Creole: senp
        • → Romanian: simplu

        Noun

        simple m (plural simples)

        1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
          passer du simple au double ― to double
          passer du simple au triple ― to triple
        2. (baseball) single

        Further reading

        Anagrams

        Galician

        Etymology

        Learned borrowing from Latin simplex. Displaced Old Galician-Portuguese simplez.

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /ˈsimple/ [ˈs̺im.plɪ]
        • Rhymes: -imple
        • Hyphenation: sim‧ple

        Adjective

        simple m or f (plural simples)

        1. simple
          Synonym: sinxelo

        German

        Pronunciation

        Adjective

        simple

        1. inflection of simpel:
          1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
          2. strong nominative/accusative plural
          3. weak nominative all-gender singular
          4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

        Latin

        Pronunciation

        Adjective

        simple

        1. vocative masculine singular of simplus

        Middle English

        Adjective

        simple

        1. alternative form of symple

        Noun

        simple

        1. alternative form of symple

        Mirandese

        Etymology

        (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /ˈs̺ĩple/ [ˈs̺ĩ.plɨ] (Central)
        • IPA(key): /ˈs̺ĩple/ [ˈs̺ɨ̃j̃.plɨ] (Sendinese)
        • Rhymes: -ĩple
        • Syllabification: sim‧ple

        Adjective

        simple m or f (masculine and feminine plural simples)

        1. simple

        Derived terms

        nouns
        • simplecidade f

        References

        • Moisés, Pires (2004), “simple”, in Pequeno vocabulário Mirandês-Português [Small Mirandese-Portuguese Vocabulary], 2nd edition, Miranda do Douro: Câmara Municipal de Miranda do Douro, published 2019, →ISBN, page 478.

        Norwegian Bokmål

        Adjective

        simple

        1. definite singular of simpel
        2. plural of simpel

        Norwegian Nynorsk

        Adjective

        simple

        1. definite singular of simpel
        2. plural of simpel

        Old French

        Alternative forms

        Etymology

          Learned borrowing from Latin simplus.

          Adjective

          simple m (feminine simple)

          1. innocent
          2. mere; simple
          3. honest; without pretense
          4. peasant, pauper (attributive)

          Descendants

          Romanian

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /ˈsim.ple/
          • Rhymes: -imple
          • Hyphenation: sim‧ple

          Adjective

          simple

          1. feminine/neuter plural nominative/accusative of simplu

          Spanish

          Spanish numbers (edit)
          10
          1 2  →  10  → 
              Cardinal: uno
              Apocopated cardinal: un
              Ordinal: primero
              Apocopated ordinal: primer
              Ordinal abbreviation: 1.º
              Multiplier: simple
              Distributive: sendos
          Spanish Wikipedia article on 1

          Etymology

          Etymology tree
          Proto-Indo-European *sem-
          Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-der.
          Latin sem-
          Proto-Indo-European *pel-der.?
          Latin -plex
          Latin simplexlbor.
          Spanish simple

            Learned borrowing from Latin simplex.

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /ˈsimple/ [ˈsĩm.ple]
            • Audio (Colombia):(file)
            • Rhymes: -imple
            • Syllabification: sim‧ple

            Adjective

            simple m or f (masculine and feminine plural simples)

            1. simple (uncomplicated)
              Synonym: sencillo
              Antonym: complejo
            2. (before the noun) mere, ordinary
              Synonym: mero
              Soy un simple pescador. ― I'm just a fisherman.
            3. simple, single (not divided into parts)
              Antonym: compuesto
            4. simple-minded, stupid
            5. insipid, flavorless
              Synonym: soso
            6. (grammar) simple

            Usage notes

            • A way to think of the difference between simple and sencillo, which both mean "simple" in English, is that the antonym of simple is complejo (“complex”), whereas the antonym of sencillo is complicado (“complicated”).

            Derived terms

            Descendants

            Noun

            simple m or f by sense (plural simples)

            1. simpleton, fool
              Synonym: bobo

            Noun

            simple m (plural simples)

            1. (pharmacology) simple

            See also

            • más simple que el mecanismo de un botijo

            Further reading

            Swedish

            Adjective

            simple

            1. definite natural masculine singular of simpel

            Anagrams

            Tagalog

            Etymology

            Etymology tree
            Proto-Indo-European *sem-
            Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-der.
            Latin sem-
            Proto-Indo-European *pel-der.?
            Latin -plex
            Latin simplexlbor.
            Spanish simplebor.
            Tagalog simple

              Borrowed from Spanish simple, a learned borrowing from Latin simplex.

              Pronunciation

              • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈsimple/ [ˈsim.plɛ]
              • Rhymes: -imple
              • Syllabification: sim‧ple

              Adjective

              simple (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜒᜋ᜔ᜉ᜔ᜎᜒ)

              1. simple; easy to do
                Synonyms: payak, yano, liso
                • 1994, Al O. Santiago, Sining ng pagsasaling-wika: sa Filipino mula sa Ingles‎[4], →ISBN:
                  Simpleng-simple rin ang aklat na ito kung ihahambing sa aklat ni Mildred Larson.
                  This book is also very simple compared to the book of Mildred Larson.
                • 2002, Yaman Ng Pagkatao i Tm' 2002 Ed.‎[5], Rex Bookstore, Inc., →ISBN, page 173:
                  Ang boluntaryong pagpili ng simpleng pamumuhay ay isang desisyong maaari nating maisakatuparan.
                  The voluntary choice of a simple life is a decision that we can carry out.
              2. common; ordinary
                Synonyms: karaniwan, pangkaraniwan
              3. easy to understand
              4. simple; plain
                Synonym: payak
              5. (grammar) simple
                Synonym: payak

              Derived terms

              • kasimplehan
              • magpakasimple
              • magpasimple
              • napakasimple
              • pagkasimple
              • pasimple
              • simplehan
              • simplehin

              Further reading

              • “simple”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
              This page is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.