adv.
Pronunciation: ' sim-pl ē , for 1 also -p ə -l ē
Function: adverb
Date: 14th century
1 a : without ambiguity : CLEARLY b : without embellishment : PLAINLY c : DIRECTLY , CANDIDLY
2 a : SOLELY , MERELY <eats simply to keep alive> < simply cleaned it up and went to bed ― Garrison Keillor> b : REALLY , LITERALLY <the concert was simply marvelous> ― often used as an intensive < simply crawling with geniuses ― F. Scott Fitzgerald>