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facile Definition

fac·ile (fas′il)

adjective

  1. not hard to do or achieve; easy
  2. acting, working, or done easily, or in a quick, smooth way; fluent; ready a facile wit
  3. using or showing little effort and not sincere or profound; superficial a facile solution, facile emotions
  4. Now Rare easy to influence or persuade; affable

Etymology: Fr < L facilis < facere, do

facile Related Forms
fac′·ilely adverb fac′·ile·ness noun
facile Synonyms

facile

modif.

  1. Easy

    simple, effortless, obvious, apparent; see easy 2.

  2. Skillful

    skilled, practiced, accomplished; see able 1, 2, fluent 2.

  3. Superficial

    glib, simplistic, insincere; see fluent 2, superficial. See syn. study at easy.

facile Usage Examples

Infinitive complement

  • say: It is perhaps too facile to say that these planetary movements are governed by gravity.

Modifies a noun

  • assumption: Target executive would certain facile assumptions most computer stores may not realize.
  • argument: I thought that was a pretty facile argument then and I think it is a pretty facile argument now.
  • ground: On facile ground, I would see that there is close connection between all parts of my army.
  • optimism: The contrast between deep pessimism and facile optimism which we pointed to throughout much of the 1980s is still there.
  • conclusion: There are no escape routes offered, no facile conclusions, no murmured easy redemption to assuage the common pain.
  • attempt: His facile attempt to explain away the continuation of child care at the Nursery after the voluntary suspension was wholly unimpressive.

Modifying Another Word

  • too: Thus, it may be too facile to blame the ' increase ' on a greater popularity of smoking among women.
  • rather: Although these may sound rather facile, they probably work well in practice, especially if others do not know they are there.
  • very: It has been used here in a very facile manner, very arrogantly.
  • somewhat: One somewhat facile response is that for several research purposes, deep contextual knowledge is not essential.
  • slightly: At first thought, linking soul music with food may seem like a peculiar, if slightly facile, connection.
  • little: So it is a little facile to think that the use of modern technology has simply scared the demon off!

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: It may seem facile to talk, at such a time, about failure being a signpost for future success.
  • become: They can guzzle champagne till it runs from their ears, and become facile to the point of dumbness.