Word of the Day

: January 3, 2008

facile

adjective FASS-ul

What It Means

1 a : easily accomplished, handled, or attained

b : shallow, superficial

2 a : ready, fluent

b : poised, assured

facile in Context

The book is well-organized, but the author's conclusions are unduly facile.

Did You Know?

Would you have guessed that "facile" and "difficult" are related? They are! "Facile" comes to us through Middle French, from the Latin word "facilis," meaning "easy," and ultimately from "facere," meaning "to make or do." "Difficult" traces to "facilis" as well, but its history also involves the negative prefix "dis-," meaning "not." "Facile" can mean "easy" or "easily done," as befits its Latin roots, but it now often adds the connotation of undue haste or shallowness, as in "facile answers to complex questions."