plain

¹

[ pleyn ]

adjective

, plain·er, plain·est.

1. clear or distinct to the eye or ear: to stand in plain view.

   a plain trail to the river;

   to stand in plain view.

   Synonyms: perspicuous, apparent, unmistakable, intelligible, understandable, lucid

   Antonyms: indistinct

2. clear to the mind; evident, manifest, or obvious:

   to make one's meaning plain.

   Synonyms: transparent, patent, unequivocal, unambiguous, perspicuous, apparent, unmistakable, intelligible, understandable, lucid

   Antonyms: obscure

3. conveying the meaning clearly and simply; easily understood:

   plain talk.

   Synonyms: transparent, patent, unequivocal, unambiguous

4. downright; sheer; utter; self-evident:

   plain folly;

   plain stupidity.

5. free from ambiguity or evasion; candid; outspoken:

   the plain truth of the matter.

   Synonyms: sincere, open, ingenuous, frank, blunt, direct, straightforward, unreserved

6. without special pretensions, superiority, elegance, etc.; ordinary:

   plain people.

   Synonyms: unpretentious

7. not beautiful; physically unattractive or undistinguished:

   a plain face.

8. without intricacies or difficulties.
9. ordinary, simple, or unostentatious:

   Although she was a duchess, her manners were attractively plain.

10. with little or no embellishment, decoration, or enhancing elaboration:

    a plain blue suit.

11. without a pattern, figure, or device:

    a plain fabric.

12. not rich, highly seasoned, or elaborately prepared, as food:

    a plain diet.

13. flat or level:

    plain country.

    Antonyms: hilly

14. unobstructed, clear, or open, as ground, a space, etc.
15. Cards. being other than a face card or a trump.

adverb

1. clearly and simply:

   He's just plain stupid.

noun

1. an area of land not significantly higher than adjacent areas and with relatively minor differences in elevation, commonly less than 500 feet (150 meters), within the area.
2. The Plains. Great Plains.

plain

²

[ pleyn ]

verb (used without object)

, British Dialect.

1. to complain.

plain

¹

/ pleɪn /

verb

1. a dialect or poetic word for complain

plain

²

/ pleɪn /

adjective

1. flat or smooth; level
2. not complicated; clear

   the plain truth

3. not difficult; simple or easy

   a plain task

4. honest or straightforward
5. lowly, esp in social rank or education
6. without adornment or show

   a plain coat

7. (of fabric) without pattern or of simple untwilled weave
8. not attractive
9. not mixed; simple

   plain vodka

10. knitting of or done in plain

noun

1. a level or almost level tract of country, esp an extensive treeless region
2. a simple stitch in knitting made by putting the right needle into a loop on the left needle, passing the wool round the right needle, and pulling it through the loop, thus forming a new loop
3. in billiards
   1. the unmarked white ball, as distinguished from the spot balls
   2. the player using this ball
4. (in Ireland) short for plain porter, a light porter

   two pints of plain, please

adverb

1. (intensifier)

   just plain tired

plain

/ plān /

1. An extensive, relatively level area of land. Plains are present on all continents except Antarctica and are most often located in the interior regions. Because they can occur at almost any altitude or latitude, plains can be humid and forested, semiarid and grass-covered, or arid.
2. A broad, level expanse, such as an area of the sea floor or a lunar mare.

Derived Forms

• ˈplainly, adverb
• ˈplainness, noun

Other Words From

• plain·ly adverb
• plain·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of plain¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English adjective, adverb, and noun plain(e), plein(e), from Old French adjective and noun plain(e), pleine, from Latin plānus “flat, level,” plānum “flat country”

Origin of plain²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English plei(g)nen, plene(n), from Anglo-French plainer, pleiner, Old French plaign-, stem of plaindre, pleindre, from Latin plangere “to strike, beat (the breast, etc.), lament”

Word History and Origins

Origin of plain¹

C14 pleignen, from Old French plaindre to lament, from Latin plangere to beat

Origin of plain²

C13: from Old French: simple, from Latin plānus level, distinct, clear

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in plain sight. in plain sight ( def ).

More idioms and phrases containing plain

• in plain English

Synonym Study

See homely.

Example Sentences

Chief Constable Jason Hogg of Thames Valley Police will tell the meeting how his force is deploying plain clothes officers in areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour.

From BBC

She credits Bensimon, an iconic fashion photographer, with giving her a timeless style tip about the power of a plain T-shirt and sparse makeup.

From Los Angeles Times

Each spring, he brought plain white boxes to an event called Pollinator Palooza in Ventura, where children painted them in bright colors.

From Los Angeles Times

She starts on plain lined sheets, then she transposes the keepers to “scalloped paper plates.”

From New York Times

Sometimes they’re confused enough to output obvious errors, as Apple researchers found when asking the models to solve math problems written in plain English.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• conventional
• dull
• ordinary
• simple
• traditional