Simplicity

How to spell simplicity

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce simplicity

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does simplicity mean?

1. nounThe quality of being easy to understand or do, or free from unnecessary complication.

Simplicity in a sentence

• The appeal of the new phone lies in its simplicity of design.

• She explained the tax rules with surprising simplicity.

Where does simplicity come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin simplicitas, meaning 'plainness' or 'singleness', which was built on simplex, literally 'single-fold' or 'made of one part', from sim- 'one, same' and plicare 'to fold'. The same plicare root, meaning 'to fold', also gives us 'pliable', 'complicate' (folded together), and 'duplicate' (folded twice), which is a useful family to keep in mind. English borrowed the word through Old French simplicite during the 1300s, at first carrying the sense of innocence or freedom from cunning before settling into the modern meaning of plainness and ease. The shift from 'single-fold' to 'easy to do or understand' reflects the idea that something uncomplicated has no extra layers folded into it. The spelling trap lies in the quiet middle: the -pli- and the soft c before -ity, both easy to garble when writing quickly.

How the word is built

• simpl- (from simplex: simple, single-fold)
• -icity (noun suffix denoting quality or state)