plain
1 Americanadjective
-
plainer,
comparative
-
plainest
superlative
-
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
-
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
-
conveying the meaning clearly and simply; easily understood.
plain talk.
- Synonyms:
- transparent, patent, unequivocal, unambiguous
-
downright; sheer; utter; self-evident.
plain folly;
plain stupidity.
-
free from ambiguity or evasion; candid; outspoken.
the plain truth of the matter.
- Synonyms:
- sincere, open, ingenuous, frank, blunt, direct, straightforward, unreserved
-
without special pretensions, superiority, elegance, etc.; ordinary.
plain people.
- Synonyms:
- unpretentious
-
not beautiful; physically unattractive or undistinguished.
a plain face.
-
without intricacies or difficulties.
-
ordinary, simple, or unostentatious.
Although she was a duchess, her manners were attractively plain.
-
with little or no embellishment, decoration, or enhancing elaboration.
a plain blue suit.
-
without a pattern, figure, or device.
a plain fabric.
-
not rich, highly seasoned, or elaborately prepared, as food.
a plain diet.
-
flat or level.
plain country.
- Antonyms:
- hilly
-
unobstructed, clear, or open, as ground, a space, etc.
-
Cards. being other than a face card or a trump.
adverb
noun
-
plains
plural
-
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.
-
The Plains. Great Plains.
idioms
verb (used without object)
verb
adjective
-
flat or smooth; level
-
not complicated; clear
the plain truth
-
not difficult; simple or easy
a plain task
-
honest or straightforward
-
lowly, esp in social rank or education
-
without adornment or show
a plain coat
-
(of fabric) without pattern or of simple untwilled weave
-
not attractive
-
not mixed; simple
plain vodka
-
knitting of or done in plain
noun
-
a level or almost level tract of country, esp an extensive treeless region
-
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
-
-
the unmarked white ball, as distinguished from the spot balls
-
the player using this ball
-
-
(in Ireland) short for plain porter, a light porter
two pints of plain, please
adverb
-
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.
-
A broad, level expanse, such as an area of the sea floor or a lunar mare.
Synonym Usage
See homely.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
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”
Explanation
Plain things are simple, unadorned, and even a little boring. Being a plain talker means you don't use pretentious, fancy words. But having a plain face means you're not much to look at. Plain comes from the Latin word planum, meaning "level ground." That's one meaning of the word, as in a flat prairie or low lying coastal flood plain. If something is in plain view, it's out in the open with no obstructions. But usually we use plain as an adjective to describe unembellished, bare, or unimpressive things. A white room with just an old bed and a chair is pretty plain.
Vocabulary lists containing plain
Physical Geography - Introductory
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'Tis A Gift To Be Simple: Words For National Simplicity Day
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Claire spoke plain English, and he would go on “Dodger Talk” on Sunday mornings to speak directly with fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
The 'little piece of post-war history hiding in plain sight'
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The divide between decorated and plain pottery continued for centuries, raising another question: Why did local residents not simply learn the migrants' more advanced techniques?
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
Mencken, the legendary journalist, said: “No one in this world…has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Their exposed layers had as many colors as a magistrate’s robes, from the yellow sand of the desert to the red dirt of the nearby Kashgar plain.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
AMARILLO, Texas—Salem Abraham made his fortune trading stocks and commodity futures from the high plains of the Texas Panhandle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
News of the home invasion spread rapidly across the rolling plains of southwestern Oklahoma.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Others may lose much of their force as they reach the plains, leaving behind a more conventional flood.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The giant beast lived some 72 to 66 million years ago -- a period characterized by a warm climate, high sea levels and vast floodable coastal plains.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Once we entered Arizona, the green fields and rolling hills gave way to desert plains and rugged mountains.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
“I believe a plainer worry sits beneath the briefs and the news releases ... The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of Warner’s CNN,” Ellison wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
He is also often being asked how to zhuzh up plainer fare or find satiety with smaller portions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Jessica thinks doctors should explain the results using plainer language, and says she had to call her GP for further explanation after receiving her results letter.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2025
In plainer English, Cannon chided prosecutors for rushing to file the gag order just before the Memorial Day weekend.
From Salon ● May 28, 2024
And she said: ‘I do not wish to play at riddles. Speak plainer!’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
In “Love and Summer,” William Trevor’s novel of doomed romance and quiet resignation, even the plainest sentence conveys roiling emotion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
As she explained, the Humphreys case is “squarely among ‘the gravest and most important’ cases in which the no-impeachment rule should yield to avoid ‘violating the plainest principles of justice.’
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2025
Mr Duck KC said: "It was the plainest of intrusions and the fear it caused was inevitable."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
I had picked up a book about adventurous greens, only to fall for the plainest one.
From Salon ● May 26, 2025
He said this in just the plainest everyday voice, as if discussing that the dog had gotten into the garbage again.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
