English → Latin
“simple” in Latin
simplexsingle; simple, plain, uncompounded; pure, unmixedattenuōto make thin, attenuate, thin, reduce; to make weak, weaken, lessen, diminish, attenuate, enfeeblenūdusunclothed, nude, naked; stripped, deprived, destitute; defenceless, helpless, unarmedaperiōto uncover, make or lay bare, reveal, clear; to make visible, discover, show, reveal, lay open; to unclose, open, break inconditusirregular, disordered, confused; uncouth, rudestupidussenseless, stunned, amazed; stupid; dull
The English word simple itself goes back to Latin semel, through simplex.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
simple
PROP., simplex (like ἁπλοῦς, in almost all the senses of the English word): attenuatus: nudus (without ornament; of a speech). Simple food, cibus simplex (not artificially prepared): simple dress, vestis non pretiosa: the soul is a simple substance (i. e., not compounded), natura animi simplex est; nihil in animis est mixtum atque concretum.
Plain, Vid:
Artless (as praise rather than not), simplex: sine affectatione (of persons): apertus (open-hearted; homo, animus, etc.): nullo cultu (without ornament or polish; of things): (as blame rather than not), non artificiosus: inconditus.
Wanting art, unskillful, artis non peritus: artis ignarus.
Silly, stupidus: hebetioris ingenii. I am not so simple as to think, etc., non is sum, qui credam etc.: ☞ not simplex in this sense.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for simple?
- The usual Latin words for “simple” are simplex, attenuō, nūdus; also aperiō, inconditus, stupidus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.