simplicity

Etymology

From Middle English simplicite, from Old French simplicite, from Latin simplicitās, from simplex (“simple”). See simple. Partially displaced native English onefoldness.

noun

1. The state or quality of being simple
   1. The quality or state of being unmixed or uncompounded
      the simplicity of metals or of earths
   2. The quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts
      the simplicity of a machine
   3. Lack of sharpness of mind; lack of ability to think using complex ideas; stupidity
   4. Lack of artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury; plainness
      simplicity of dress, of style, or of language
      simplicity of diet
      simplicity of life
   5. Lack of subtlety or abstruseness; clarity
      the simplicity of a doctrine
      the simplicity of an explanation or a demonstration
   6. Lack of complication; efficiency.
      Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art. Perhaps it is fitting that economists’ most-used metric, gross domestic product (GDP), is a tangle too. GDP measures the total value of output in an economic territory. Its apparent simplicity explains why it is scrutinised down to tenths of a percentage point every month. 2013-08-03, “Boundary problems”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847
2. (archaic, rare) An act or instance of foolishness.