plain

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

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See synonyms for: plain / plains / plainly / plainness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, plain·er, plain·est.

clear or distinct to the eye or ear: a plain trail to the river;to stand in plain view.

clear to the mind; evident, manifest, or obvious: to make one's meaning plain.

conveying the meaning clearly and simply; easily understood: plain talk.

downright; sheer; utter; self-evident: plain folly;plain stupidity.

free from ambiguity or evasion; candid; outspoken: the plain truth of the matter.

without special pretensions, superiority, elegance, etc.; ordinary: plain people.

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.

unobstructed, clear, or open, as ground, a space, etc.

Cards. being other than a face card or a trump.

adverb

clearly and simply: He's just plain stupid.

noun

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR plain

1, 2 lucid, understandable, intelligible, unmistakable, apparent, perspicuous.

2, 3 unambiguous, unequivocal, patent, transparent.

5 unreserved, straightforward, direct, blunt, frank, ingenuous, open, sincere.

6 unpretentious.

10 unadorned.

See synonyms for plain on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR plain

1 indistinct.

2 obscure.

13 hilly.

See antonyms for plain on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about plain

in plain sight. See entry at in plain sight.

Origin of plain

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”

synonym study for plain

10. See homely.

OTHER WORDS FROM plain

plain·ly, adverbplain·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plain

plain , plan, plane

Other definitions for plain (2 of 2)

plain²

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

verb (used without object) British Dialect.

to complain.

Origin of plain

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”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use plain in a sentence

"One dollar," he said and threw a plainer stone with a rubber band looped around it for our payment.
Big-Sky West Texas: A Road Trip Through Hidden America|Condé Nast Traveler|March 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Translated into plainer English: he wants to break his opponents.
Obama Gets Tough|David Frum|January 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is plainer than ever that America is divided into two camps.
Bernard-Henri Lévy: My Wish for America|Bernard-Henri Lévy|December 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This rather is, I should deem, the more perilous, and a plainer and better object for philosophical attack.
Notes and Queries, Number 177, March 19, 1853|Various

In other respects these plainer mapled instruments are fully equal to anything that came from his hands.
Antonio Stradivari|Horace William Petherick
Now and then Fortunio had to intervene, to make plainer to this ignorant Piedmontese mind the Marquise's questions.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
The violin and bow still in the hands of the dead man told him plainer than words what had happened.
The Fifth String |John Philip Sousa
I do find myself much bound to go handsome, which I shall do in linen, and so the other things may be all the plainer.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete|Samuel Pepys

British Dictionary definitions for plain (1 of 2)

plain¹

/ (pleɪn) /

adjective

flat or smooth; level

not complicated; clearthe plain truth

not difficult; simple or easya plain task

honest or straightforward

lowly, esp in social rank or education

without adornment or showa plain coat

(of fabric) without pattern or of simple untwilled weave

not attractive

not mixed; simpleplain 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

(in billiards)

the unmarked white ball, as distinguished from the spot balls
the player using this ball

(in Ireland) short for plain porter, a light portertwo pints of plain, please

adverb

(intensifier)just plain tired

Derived forms of plain

plainly, adverbplainness, noun

Word Origin for plain

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

British Dictionary definitions for plain (2 of 2)

plain²

/ (pleɪn) /

verb

a dialect or poetic word for complain

Word Origin for plain

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for plain

plain

[ plān ]

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with plain

plain

In addition to the idioms beginning with plain

plain as day
plain sailing

also see:

in plain English

plain

OTHER WORDS FOR plain

OPPOSITES FOR plain

Idioms about plain

Origin of plain

synonym study for plain

OTHER WORDS FROM plain

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plain

Other definitions for plain (2 of 2)

Origin of plain

Words related to plain

How to use plain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plain (1 of 2)

Derived forms of plain

Word Origin for plain

British Dictionary definitions for plain (2 of 2)

Word Origin for plain

Scientific definitions for plain

Other Idioms and Phrases with plain