Added 9 October 2026
facile
/ˈfæs.aɪl/ adjective
Latin root: facilis Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about facile at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Superficially impressive, but lacking depth and attention to the true complexities of a subject.
too facile a solution for so complex a problem
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Performing adroitly and without effort.
a facile hand
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Expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively.
able to dazzle with his facile tongue
Origin
Borrowed from Middle French facile, from Latin facilis (“easy to do, easy, doable”), from Latin facere (“to do, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put”) Compare Spanish and Portuguese fácil (“easy”), Catalan fàcil, Romanian facil. First use appears c. 1484 in a translation by William Caxton.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)