plain clothes

or plainclothes

plural noun

1. clothing other than one's uniform, especially civilian clothes worn on duty by a police officer.

plain clothes

plural noun

1. 1. ordinary clothes, as distinguished from uniform, as worn by a police detective on duty
   2. ( as modifier )

      a plain-clothes policeman

Other Words From

• plain-clothes plainclothes adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plain clothes¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Taylor was killed after officers wearing plain clothes executed a "no-knock" search warrant at her home.

From BBC

The plain clothes detective sergeant, who was not named in court, said he "jumped out" of his car, ran to the canal and "grabbed hold" of Daniel Khalife last September.

From BBC

Men in plain clothes were moving rapidly towards them so Stevenson, a notorious crime boss who had reputedly been the target of numerous attempts on his life, took to his heels.

From BBC

In the Intelligence Division, she had weekends off, worked regular hours, wore plain clothes and drove an unmarked car.

From New York Times

Their uniforms are plain clothes, a polo shirt with the school district logo, for “an image of support and relationships, not of law enforcement,” Carbone Rogers said.

From Seattle Times