simplistic
adjective
Harlow RobinsonMatt RidleyNaomi Rosenblum
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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
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
Charli XCX‘s Brat, the winner of best recording package last year, went viral for its distinctive bright green hue and simplistic typeface, which put all the attention on the title and turned it into a cultural moment that everyone wanted to identify with.
—Lina Lecaro, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Instead, Reeves became Estragon, the more simplistic and long-suffering of the duo, while Winter tackled Vladimir, the more commanding and verbose character.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Its writing is simplistic at times, and the characters are loud and even grating.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Simplistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simplistic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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simplistic
adjective
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