plainclothes

American

[playn-klohz, -klohthz] / ˈpleɪnˌkloʊz, -ˌkloʊðz /

adjective

wearing civilian clothing, or plain clothes, instead of a uniform, especially of police officers on duty.

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.

A large cordon is in place and a forensics officer, fire investigation dogs and several plainclothes officers were working at the scene.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

An immigration court dropped its case against Turkish graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk, her lawyers said, a little less than a year after masked federal agents in plainclothes arrested her on a street near Tufts University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

"For example, the faces, voices, and names of undercover officers conducting operations in plainclothes are not obscured," the complaint alleges.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

County residents encountering plainclothes or masked agents who refuse to identify themselves or show ID.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025

I can finally see him, three bodies deep, barely protected by the plainclothes cops, who are busy holding people and cameras back.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023