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:
They’re hiding in plain sight, as ordinary people who run businesses woven into the fabric of everyday life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Such trends were in plain sight in Tor Bella Monaca, a working-class eastern suburb of Rome dotted by rundown apartment blocks, cash-for-gold shops and discount stores.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
One group received plain water, while the other two received water containing either sucralose or stevia.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
It hasn't all been plain sailing - already two councillors, Steve Lewis and Rhys Carr, have left Reform to sit as independents, and a third, Nick Farmer, has been suspended by the party.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
I’m not sure if it’s because of adrenaline or just plain bad decision-making, but I decide I’m not going to let this thing beat us.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Water can take about a day to reach the Bihar plains from the Nepal mountain front along the Kosi and Gandak, and somewhat longer along the Ghaghara.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Deep-sea mining companies want to scour the ocean's abyssal plains for mineral deposits and polymetallic nodules laden with nickel, copper and cobalt.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
It is essential for cattlemen in the western plains who have for years been shrinking their cattle herds in response to droughts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Priyadarshini said she has long been interested in studying spiders that live at high elevations because those environments differ greatly from the lowland plains in both vegetation and landscape.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
When a scouting party spotted a herd, Ne-kah-e-se-y and the other hunters raced on their horses across the plains, the hooves pounding the earth like drums, the manes whipping the riders’ sweating, gleaming faces.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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
The male peacocks have the extravagant plumage to attract mates, while the females are a plainer colour.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2024
For example, Chinese zhajiangmian is usually plainer than Korean-Chinese jajangmyeon, which is coated in a thick sauce of fermented black beans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
We can’t put it any plainer than he does: These assaults “are a direct result of multiple systems’ lack of appropriate resources, placements, and services” for kids in dire need.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2023
It could not have been plainer that he thought this lesson was a waste of time.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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
Mr Duck KC said: "It was the plainest of intrusions and the fear it caused was inevitable."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
In plainest English: If the people with the heaviest vehicles made do with slightly less, the impact to the safety of their lives would be literally zero, and thousands fewer people would die.
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 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.
