adv ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adverb

1. 1
   In a simplistic way.

   "He explained relativity, but very simplistically."

2. 2
   Used to announce or excuse an oversimplified explanation or description. (Compare with in a nutshell.)

   "Simplistically, he was fired with pay."

Synonyms

All synonyms

in layman's terms

Example

More examples

"He explained relativity, but very simplistically."

Etymology

From simplistic + -ally.

Related phrases

in nutshell

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.