plain vanilla

or plain-va·nil·la

[ pleyn-vuh-nil-uh ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. having no embellishments, extra equipment, elaborate packaging, etc.; plain; simple; down-to-earth:

   I want a plain vanilla car without a lot of chrome trim.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plain vanilla¹

In allusion to vanilla ice cream, taken to be the most basic flavor

Example Sentences

Some are plain vanilla, diversified index funds that let you invest in the entire stock and bond markets, and are excellent core holdings for the great majority of people.

From New York Times

“What really needs to be explicated is not the plain vanilla meaning of insurrection but the whole phrase - insurrection against the United States Constitution,” Delahunty testified on Friday.

From Washington Times

“What really needs to be explicated is not the plain vanilla meaning of insurrection but the whole phrase — insurrection against the United States Constitution,” Delahunty testified on Friday.

From Seattle Times

If the statement is as plain vanilla as expected, it will put all eyes on Mr. Powell’s news conference.

From New York Times

“The FTX collapse has left a stigma on the industry, even though much of FTX’s alleged fraud is what I would refer to as plain vanilla fraud,” said Josh White, an assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University and a former financial economist at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boring
• distasteful
• dull
• uninspired