What does simplify mean?
Simplify means to make something less complicated, easier to understand, or more manageable. It is used for texts, explanations, systems, designs, procedures, and mathematical expressions, among many other things. For example, a teacher may simplify a difficult concept, while an engineer may simplify a design to reduce costs. The word usually suggests making something clearer or more efficient, but it can also be used critically: “The argument has been oversimplified” means that important complications have been ignored or left out. Simplify is transitive when it takes an object, as in “simplify the instructions,” although it can also occur without one. It is distinct from simplistic, which is an adjective describing something as too simplistic rather than the act of making something simpler. The verb is understood throughout modern British and American English and is especially useful in discussions of communication, design, mathematics, administration, and problem-solving.
verbTo make something less complex, difficult, or complicated, especially by expressing it in a clearer or more straightforward form.
- To reduce the complexity, number of elements, or difficulty of something.
- To express or explain something in a clearer, more accessible, or more straightforward way.
- To make a situation, process, or system less demanding or burdensome.
"The new design simplifies the process of applying for a permit."
"Could you simplify this explanation for readers who are new to the subject?"
"The new app was designed to simplify the way small businesses manage their finances."
From Latin simplex, meaning “simple,” and facere, meaning “make,” simplify literally means “make simple”—a compact formula for untangling complexity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does simplify come from?
The word comes from Latin simplificare, formed from simplex (“simple,” “single”) and the causative suffix -ficare, related to facere (“to make”). English borrowed the verb in the early 17th century. Its relatives include simplicity, simplistic, simple, and simplex, all reflecting the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How simplify is actually used
The word is neutral in register and common in formal, professional, and informal contexts. It is usually positive when something has been made clearer or more efficient, but it can carry a critical implication when the simplification removes necessary detail or presents a complicated issue in an overly reduced way.
Easily confused with simplify
To simplify is to make something less complicated, whereas to describe something as simplistic is to say that it ignores important complications or distinctions.