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

Rohrwacher’s unoriginal, simplistic aim is to wipe the slate of male-filmmaker influence. —Armond White, National Review, 3 Apr. 2024

This is an extremely simplistic question to ask modern-day generative AI. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Still, Rise of the Ronin's levels have the same flat, simplistic feel as Nioh and Wo Long's. —PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024

Michelle was concerned about making pasta, a simplistic dish, but one that has a huge margin for error. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024

Your retirement should be free of overly simplistic rules, particularly ones theorized in academic settings rather than the laboratory of real life. —Roger Whitney, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Frank’s and Charley’s very different definitions of what constitutes a friend offer an astringent alternative to our culture’s sometimes treacly, overly simplistic portrayal of the bond. —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024

With 2,000 lumens this 16.4-foot strip is bright enough to light a small room on its own and can adjust to six different levels of brightness using the simplistic remote control. —Pamela Porter, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Mar. 2024

This is too much for reviewers accustomed to simplistic sci-fi/comic-book formula, overrating the inanity of Damian Chazelle’s First Man and preferring Gravity to the depth and beauty of De Palma’s Mission to Mars. —Armond White, National Review, 8 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined above

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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