Adjective

(en adjective)

Easy, now especially in a disparaging sense; contemptibly easy.

* , vol.I, New York, 2001, p.243:

as he that is benumbed with cold sits shaking, that might relieve himself with a little exercise or stirring, do they complain, but will not use the facile and ready means to do themselves good […].

His facile disposition made him many friends.

Effortless, fluent (of work, abilities etc.).

* 1932 , (Duff Cooper), Talleyrand , Folio Society 2010, p. 54:

we can learn the impression that he made upon a stranger and a foreigner at this period, thanks to the facile pen of Fannu Burney.

* 1974 , (Graham Greene), (The Honorary Consul) , Pocket Books, New York, p.54:

"Discipline," Jorge Julio Saavedra was repeating, "is more necessary to me than to other more facile writers.

* 1990 , (Peter Hopkirk), The Great Game , Folio Society 2010, p. 372:

A facile and persuasive writer, he also turned out countless newspaper articles on Russian aims in Central Asia and how best these could be thwarted.

Lazy, simplistic (especially of explanations, discussions etc.).

* 2012 , (Chris Huhne), The Guardian , 3 May 2012:

There is a facile view that our green commitments – to tackling climate change, avoiding air and water pollution, protecting natural habitats – are an obstacle to growth. The message of the commodity markets is surely different.

(chemistry) Of a reaction or other process, taking place readily.

Decarboxylation of beta-keto acids is facile ...

Adjective

(en adjective)

Causing the physical reduction or diminution of something.

(chemistry, metallurgy, biology) That reduces a substance etc. to a more simple or basic form.

*1848 , F Knapp, Chemical Technology; Or, Chemistry Applied to the Arts and to Manufactures :

*:On the relative reductive powers of different classes of American coals, as demonstrated by the experiments with oxide of lead.

*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-03

, author= , title=The Smallest Cell , volume=101, issue=2, page=83 , magazine= citation , passage=It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.}}

*1847 , John Johnson, The theological works of the rev. John Johnson :

*:But then beside the primary and direct sense of the text, the ancients commonly supposed that there was a reductive or anagogical meaning, in which it might be taken.