small words

English

Noun

small words (uncountable)

1. language that is easy to understand
   • 1853, James Spencer Cannon, Lectures on Pastoral Theology, Charles Scribner, page 152:

     Wisely did the translators of our English Bible use small words, which impart a beauty and force to innumerable passages in their excellent version.

   • 1982, William Hammond, Leadership Education III, Air Force Junior ROTC, Air University, page 4:

     Use small words. You probably wouldn't like to have to use your dictionary to read this book. Your readers won't want to use a dictionary either; so, use words which describe your thoughts and are easily understood by the reader.

   • 1997, Irene Lober, Promoting Your School: A Public Relations Handbook, R&L Education, →ISBN, page 89:

     Use words that clearly convey your thoughts. Use small words where you can; do not try to use large words to impress people. Remember that your audience wants to understand what you are saying, so make it easy for them.

   • 2017, David Debord, Neptune's Key: A Tattered Sails Novel, Tattered Sails, →ISBN, page 49:

     Fine, but you might want to use small words so Blackwood can keep up.

   • 2020, Roderick P. Hart, Trump and Us: What He Says and Why People Listen, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 30:

     What does it mean to be incapable of rephrasing a thought, of turning it around in one's mind in fresh ways? What does it mean to use small words almost exclusively (“We're going to have very, very strong vetting. I call it extreme vetting, and we're going very strong on security”)? It means that people can understand you, that they do not become lost in the fog.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see small,‎ words.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “language that is easy to understand”): big words, large words