plain

1 of 5

adjective

ˈplān

Synonyms of plain next

: lacking ornament : undecorated

: free of extraneous matter : pure

: free of impediments to view : unobstructed

a(1)

: evident to the mind or senses : obvious

it's perfectly plain that they will resist

(2)

: clear

let me make my meaning plain

: marked by outspoken candor : free from duplicity or subtlety : blunt

plain talk

: belonging to the masses : common

: lacking special distinction or affectation : ordinary

: characterized by simplicity : not complicated

plain home-cooked meals

: lacking beauty or ugliness

archaic : even, level

plainly adverb

plainness

ˈplān-nəs

noun

plain

2 of 5

noun

: an extensive area of level or rolling treeless country

: a broad unbroken expanse

: something free from artifice, ornament, or extraneous matter

plain

3 of 5

adverb (1)

: in a plain manner : without obscurity or ambiguity

saw them clearly and told you plain—

Amer. Documentation

plain

4 of 5

adverb (2)

: absolutely sense 1a

plain wrong

plain

5 of 5

verb

plained; plaining; plains

intransitive verb

archaic

: complain

Choose the Right Synonym for plain

common, ordinary, plain, familiar, popular, vulgar mean generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual.

common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence

a common error

lacked common honesty

and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

common manners

ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day

a very ordinary sort of man

plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

evident, manifest, patent, distinct, obvious, apparent, plain, clear mean readily perceived or apprehended.

evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion.

an evident fondness for sweets

manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required.

manifest hostility

patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it.

patent defects

distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required.

a distinct refusal

obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer.

the obvious solution

apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference.

for no apparent reason

plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration.

her feelings about him are plain

clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern.

a clear explanation

frank, candid, open, plain mean showing willingness to tell what one feels or thinks.

frank stresses lack of shyness or secretiveness or of evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience.

frank discussions

candid suggests expression marked by sincerity and honesty especially in offering unwelcome criticism or opinion.

a candid appraisal

open implies frankness but suggests more indiscretion than frank and less earnestness than candid.

open in saying what they think

plain suggests outspokenness and freedom from affectation or subtlety in expression.

plain talk

Example Sentences

Adjective It was a plain room with no curtains. She was wearing plain black shoes. He printed the picture on plain paper. a piece of plain chicken You don't have to call me Mr. Johnson—just plain Fred will be fine. What he said is a lie, plain and simple. Noun the Great Plains of the United States the first settlers in that area lived on the vast plains in lonely log cabins See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Guilty Guava, a plain bagel with cream cheese and house-made guava jelly mimics the guava-and-cheese empanadas Varela’s family makes for special occasions. —

The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 27 June 2023 In dissent, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, joined by the court’s three liberal members, said the tribe’s request was more modest than that, adding that the government had violated the plain terms of the treaty and had given the tribe an epic runaround. —

Adam Liptak, New York Times, 22 June 2023 Use the ghosts to decorate a plain table runner or glue them to pumpkins. —

Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 21 June 2023 The team’s results show that even the plainest of nouns can invoke dozens of distinct concepts in individuals’ mind. —

Simon Makin, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2023 Still, the plain fact that Edwin and Clive were among the last people seen with Alison will cast an air of suspicion around them long after the local police chief has ruled her death an accident, much in the way that grief continues to dog Emily decades after Alison’s passing. —

Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2023 Jodie Comer in 'Prima Facie' on Broadway | Credit: Bronwen Sharp Jodie Comer is just plain f---ing remarkable. —

Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2023 Instead of plain white napkins, for instance, Robbins opted for a lilac option here, which accentuates the blooms on the table. —

Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 22 Apr. 2023 In her recollection of the incident, which sits near the beginning of the show, her father accompanied her to school the next day to confront the teacher with the plain fact of his non-extinction. —

Jeremy D. Goodwin, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Apr. 2023

Noun

Meanwhile, a multi-day severe weather outbreak is stretching from the plains into the south. —

Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 17 June 2023 James Gaius Watt was born in Lusk, Wyo., in the high plains eastern part of the state, on Jan. 31, 1938, to William and Lois Mae (Williams) Watt. —

Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 8 June 2023 Framed by the Caliente and Temblor mountain ranges, the vast plain sits 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles and is the largest native grassland left in the state. —

Alice Li, Washington Post, 3 May 2023 Success for Ukraine in the battles on the southeastern plains would drive home to the world the declining military might of Russia, ease concerns that the war has settled into a quagmire, and most likely encourage Ukraine’s allies to further arm and finance Kyiv in the war. —

Andrew E. Kramer, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Apr. 2023 Sphagnum bogs, rocky plateaus, and huckleberry plains give way to some 47 miles of trails. —

Condé Nast, Bon Appétit, 14 Mar. 2023 March also marks the 46th anniversary of the deadliest accident in aviation history, when 583 people were killed at the main airport in Tenerife, Spain, in 1977 after two plains collided on the runway. —

Rob Wile, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2023 Amtrak offers an all-inclusive package with a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour, and breathtaking views of the great plains and the Pacific Coast. —

Alesandra Dubin, Good Housekeeping, 7 Mar. 2023 The mountain is covered in natural springs that flow down to the plains below, irrigating fields of rice, mango, and cassava. —

Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2023

Adverb

After all, carving pumpkins can get messy and is especially hard to do safely with children, and leaving pumpkins plain is a specific seasonal look that not everyone loves. —

Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 20 June 2023 Beyond plain fun, water tables can also help enhance gross and fine motor skills. —

Maya Polton, Parents, 13 June 2023 Even the racing programs were just plain white sheet paper. —

Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 10 June 2023 But Optimus Prime beating the Energon out of his old pal Bumblebee is just plain wrong in Michael Bay's atrocious swan song. —

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 9 June 2023 Autographed stuff, sparkly stuff, expensive stuff, and just plain strange stuff. —

Nicole Kagan, BostonGlobe.com, 14 June 2023 Unlike a plain square weave pattern (one thread over, one thread under), a float means the pattern skips threads. —

Theresa Holland, Peoplemag, 14 June 2023 Inevitably, some will be unwanted, alarming, or just plain strange. —

Time, 14 June 2023 Take inspiration from celebrity decorator Kathryn M. Ireland's own kitchen, which features plain white shelves infused with personality. —

Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 3 June 2023

Verb

Flavored water generally refers to anything that adds flavoring to plain water, whether that be artificial syrups or powders, or something more natural, such as fruit. —

Julia Landwehr, Health, 17 Apr. 2023 But there aren’t enough wires stretching from the state’s windy eastern plains to the mesa-top community. —

WIRED, 27 Feb. 2023 Southern areas of the state will at least turn to a wintry mix if not over to plain rain. —

Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2023 Stick to plain greek yogurt, which contains less carbohydrates, and try adding a handful of berries or chia seeds and a splash of unsweetened almond milk for a better keto-friendly dessert. —

Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 1 Nov. 2022 Simply add the Montreal Steak Seasoning of your choice to plain asparagus or your go-to existing asparagus recipe. —

Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2021 Tampa Bay began as expansion team in 1998 and transformed from Devil Rays to plain old Rays for the 2008 season, the first after Stuart Sternberg bought control from founding owner Vince Naimoli. —

Ronald Blum, orlandosentinel.com, 19 Oct. 2020 Otherwise, stick to plain old H2O. Keeping your alcohol intake low will lessen your chances of suffering a stomach-churning hangover or a more serious consequence like an inflamed pancreas. —

Janis Graham, Redbook, 28 Nov. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin planum, from neuter of planus flat, plain — more at floor

Adverb (2)

partly from Middle English plein entire, complete, from Anglo-French, full, from Latin plenus; partly from plain entry 3 — more at full

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French pleindre, plaindre, from Latin plangere to lament — more at plaint

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 8

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of plain was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Plain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plain. Accessed 9 Jul. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

plain

1 of 4 noun

ˈplān

: a broad area of level or rolling treeless country

plain

2 of 4 adjective

: having no pattern or decoration

her dress was plain

: free of added or extra matter : pure

a glass of plain water

: open and clear to the sight

in plain view

: clear to the mind

your meaning was plain

: frank, blunt

plain speaking

: of common or average accomplishments or position : ordinary

plain people

: not complicated or hard to do

plain sewing

: neither ugly nor beautiful

plainly adverb

plainness

ˈplān-nəs

noun

plain

3 of 4 adverb

: in a plain or simple manner

plain

4 of 4 adverb

: to a complete degree : totally

were plain overcome by all the problems

Etymology

Noun

Middle English plain "a stretch of nearly level treeless country," from early French plain (same meaning), derived from Latin planus "flat" — related to plane entry 1

Adverb

partly from Middle English plein (adjective) "entire, complete" (derived from Latin plenus "full") and partly from plain (adverb) "in a plain manner" (derived from Latin planus "flat, level")