facile argument
- noun
- /ˈfæsaɪl ˈɑrɡjʊmənt/
- Formal
:
argumento simplista
- Critics dismissed his theory as a facile argument that ignored the complexities of the real world.
Examples
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Her claim about the issue was merely a facile argument, oversimplifying a topic that required deeper analysis.
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Although his solution seemed attractive at first, it ultimately proved to be a facile argument lacking in substantial evidence.
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Yet this, too, is a facile argument, since at least five of those victorious Democrats—including two from New York State—did not face significant opposition and were never in any political danger.
Academic text (2011) -
While the rest of us fall for this facile argument of elections being decided by the majority (or sometimes the plurality), they’re much smarter than us since they see the inherent wisdom of the Founders.
Blog text (5)
Synonyms
265
7.0
Words that sound impressive but have little real meaning
1
4.2
A reason that is weak and not supported by evidence
An explanation that is vague and lacks proof or important detail
An argument that has no real power to convince people
Antonyms
How Superficial
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly composed from 'facile' (superficial, simplistic) modifying 'argument' (a set of reasons), yielding 'a superficial or overly simple argument.' This follows a standard adjective + noun composition pattern in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Facile argument comes from the old word facile, which meant 'easy', and the word argument, a reason or idea. The image is of a quick, easy reason that looks neat but is actually 'superficial', so the phrase now means a weak or shallow argument.