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# facile

adjective

«facile» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Too simple; said or done without careful thought, so it ignores the real problem. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#m1)
2. (old or literary) Done easily, smooth and effortless. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#m2)

### In the lessons

In debates and essays, a «facile answer» or «facile argument» is one that is too easy and shallow; teachers may write it as criticism. In stories, an old-style sense means smooth and skilful. Phrases: «a facile answer», «facile solution», «facile comparison».

### Examples

- Saying «just be happy» is a facile answer to sadness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#x1)
- The critic called the film's ending facile. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#x2)
- Don't give a facile reply; think it through. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#x3)
- There is no facile solution to traffic jams. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#x4)
- His facile excuses annoyed the teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#x5)
- It is facile to blame one person for the whole problem. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/#x6)

### Note

Formal and usually critical. Pronounced «FASS-ile» (UK, «-ile» as in «mile») or «FASS-ul» (US). False friend: French «facile» simply means «easy», but in English it usually means too simple, in a bad way.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «facile» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/facile/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«facile» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/facile.html) on Mova free.