simplistic
English
Adjective
simplistic (comparative more simplistic, superlative most simplistic)
- Overly simple.
- In a manner that simplifies a concept or issue so that its nuance and complexity are lost or important details are overlooked.
- Allen Suess Whiting:
- (Mao's) reliance on simplistic Soviet interpretations was reflected in his dismissal of Hitler as "a mere will-less puppet of the reactionary capitalists."[1]
- Jacques Lambert:
- The cliché is not untrue, but, like all generalisations, it distorts reality so that overly simplistic judgments have to be tempered by a few qualifications.[2]
- Allen Suess Whiting:
- (obsolete) Of or relating to simples, or medicinal herbs.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Wilkinson to this entry?)
Usage notes
- Simplistic is not to be conflated with simple; simplistic implies simplicity that distorts the topic, whereas simple does not. Degrees of comparison such as "more simplistic" and expressions such as "overly simplistic" accordingly are in some sense tautological and some speakers avoid them.
Translations
See also
- simplism n.
- simplistically adv.
- simpleton
- simplified
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.