plain
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plain¹
- /pleɪn/ US, UK
- [pl̥eɪn] US, UK
- /plen/ Scotland
- /plein/ Wales
- /plen/ South Asia
- /plɛjn/ South Asia
Sounds like plane (pane–pain merger) · Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From Middle English pleyn, borrowed from Anglo-Norman pleyn, playn, Middle French plain, plein, and Old French plain, from Latin plānus (“flat, even, level, plain”). Doublet of llano, piano, plane, and plan.
adjective plainer · plainest · plaine
- Flat, level. The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.
-
Ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished.
He was dressed simply in plain black clothes.
Similar: no-frills, simple, austere, bare, bare-bones, bargain, basic, cheap, default, discreet, economy, elemental · Opposite: decorative, exotic, fancy, ornate
-
Of just one colour; lacking a pattern.
a plain pink polycotton skirt
Similar: no-frills, simple, austere, bare, bare-bones, bargain, basic, cheap, default, discreet, economy, elemental
-
Simple in habits or qualities; unsophisticated, not exceptional, ordinary.
They're just plain people like you or me.
Similar: no-frills, simple, austere, bare, bare-bones, bargain, basic, cheap, default, discreet, economy, elemental
-
Having only few ingredients, or no additional ingredients or seasonings; not elaborate, without toppings or extras.
Would you like a poppy bagel or a plain bagel?
Similar: no-frills, simple, austere, bare, bare-bones, bargain, basic, cheap, default, discreet, economy, elemental
-
Containing no extended or nonprinting characters (especially in plain text).
Similar: no-frills, simple, austere, bare, bare-bones, bargain, basic, cheap, default, discreet, economy, elemental
-
Evident to one's senses or reason; manifest, clear, unmistakable.
In fact, by excommunication or persuasion, by impetuosity of driving or adroitness in leading, this Abbot, it is now becoming plain everywhere, is a man that generally remains master at last.
Similar: blatant, ostensible, apparent, arrant, undoubted, glaring, bait, clear, clear as a bell, clear as day, clear cut, conspicuous
-
Downright; total, unmistakable (as intensifier).
His answer was just plain nonsense.
Similar: blatant, ostensible, apparent, arrant, undoubted, glaring, bait, clear, clear as a bell, clear as day, clear cut, conspicuous
-
Honest and without deception; candid, open; blunt.
Let me be plain with you: I don't like her.
Similar: frank, sincere, earnest, fair dinkum, forthright, downright, upfront, foursquare, genuine, up-front, honest, legitimate
- Clear; unencumbered; equal; fair. Our troops beat an army in plain fight.
-
Not unusually beautiful; unattractive.
Throughout high school she worried that she had a rather plain face.
Opposite: good-looking, repulsive, attractive, beauteous, beautifool, beautiful, beautimous, bona vardering, bonnie, breathtaking, captivating, comely
- Not a trump.
adverb plaine
- Simply. It was just plain stupid.
- Plainly; distinctly. Tell me plain: do you love me or no?
plain²
- /pleɪn/ US, UK
- [pl̥eɪn] US, UK
- /plen/ Scotland
- /plein/ Wales
- /plen/ South Asia
- /plɛjn/ South Asia
Sounds like plane (pane–pain merger) · Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From Old French plain, from Latin plānum (“level ground, a plain”), neuter substantive from plānus (“level, even, flat”). Doublet of llano, piano, and plane.
noun plains
- An expanse of land with relatively low relief and few trees, especially a grassy expanse. Him the Ammonite / Worshipped in Rabba and her watery plain.
- A broad, flat expanse in general, as of water. Fair ship, that from the Italian shore, Sailest the placid ocean-plains With my lost Arthur’s loved remains, Spread thy full wings, and waft him o’er.
-
Synonym of field in reference to a battlefield.
You have stormed no town and found the money there ; neither did you find it in the plains of Plassey after the defeat of the Nawab
Similar: field in reference to a battlefield
- Alternative spelling of plane: a flat geometric field.
verb plains · plaining · plained
- To level; to raze; to make plain or even on the surface. Frownst thou thereat aspiring Lancaster, The sworde shall plane the furrowes of thy browes,
- To make plain or manifest; to explain. What’s dumb in show, I’ll plain with speech.
plain³
- /pleɪn/ US, UK
- [pl̥eɪn] US, UK
- /plen/ Scotland
- /plein/ Wales
- /plen/ South Asia
- /plɛjn/ South Asia
Sounds like plane (pane–pain merger) · Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From Anglo-Norman plainer, pleiner, variant of Anglo-Norman and Old French pleindre, plaindre, from Latin plangere.
noun plains · plein
- A lamentation. The warrior-threat, the infant's plain, The mother's screams, were heard in vain;
verb plains · plaining · plained · plein
- To complain. Persones and parisch prestes · pleyned hem to þe bischop / Þat here parisshes were pore · sith þe pestilence tyme […].
- To lament, bewail. to plain a loss
plain⁴
- /pleɪn/ US, UK
- [pl̥eɪn] US, UK
- /plen/ Scotland
- /plein/ Wales
- /plen/ South Asia
- /plɛjn/ South Asia
Sounds like plane (pane–pain merger) · Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From Middle English pleyn, borrowed from Old French plein, from Latin plēnus (“full, filled, complete”). Ultimately from Proto-Italic *plēnos, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós (“full”). Doublet of plene, plenary, and full.
adjective plainer · plainest
- Full, complete in number or extent.
Plain⁵
proper noun Plains
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: self-coloured, solid, trim, homely, mere, kick, tailored, sheer, apparent, general, champaign, manifest, knit, field, popular, literal
Translations
Every language
adj ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation
| Español | sencillo, llano, mondo, a palo seco |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 소박한 sobakhan |
| 日本語 | 平易な heii na, 質素な shisso na, 普段の fudan no, 普通の futsū no |
| 中文 | 平的 píng de, 簡單 /简单 jiǎndān, 平常 píngcháng, 質素 /质素 zhìsù |
| Português | simples |
| Français | simple |
| Deutsch | schlicht |
| Italiano | semplice |
| Русский | просто́й prostój, обыкнове́нный obyknovénnyj, обы́чный obýčnyj |
| العربية | بَسِيط basīṭ |
adj of just one colour
| Español | pleno, plenario, mero, entero, enterizo |
|---|---|
| Français | uni |
| Русский | одноцветный odnocvetnyj |
adj unseasoned
| Español | desabrido, natural, sencillo, mondo, puro |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 原味 yuánwèi |
| Português | natural, insípido |
| Français | nature |
| Deutsch | Natur- |
| Italiano | al naturale, in bianco |
adj computing: containing no non-printing characters
| Español | con solamente caracteres normales, libre de caracteres especiales, sin caracteres especiales |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 平 hira |
| Português | simples |
| Français | simple texte |
| Русский | обычный obyčnyj, простой prostoj |
adv adverb
| Español | plenamente, plenariamente, sencillamente |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 単に tanni |
| 中文 | 干脆 gāncuì |
| हिन्दी | बस bas |
| Français | simplement |
| Deutsch | schlicht |
| Tiếng Việt | đơn thuần |
noun an expanse of land with relatively low relief
| Español | llanura, planicie, pampa |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 평지 pyeongji, 평야 pyeong'ya |
| 日本語 | 平地 heichi, 平野 heiya |
| 中文 | 平原 píngyuán, 平野 píngyě |
| हिन्दी | मैदान maidān |
| Kiswahili | tambarare |
| Português | planície |
| Français | plaine |
| Deutsch | Ebene |
| Italiano | pianura |
| Ελληνικά | πεδιάδα pediáda, πεδίο pedío |
| Română | șes, câmpie |
| Русский | равни́на ravnína |
| Tiếng Việt | đồng bằng, bình nguyên |
| العربية | سَهْل sahl |
| עברית | מִישׁוֹר mishór, עֲרָבָה 'aravá |
Talk about this word "plain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. plain. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plain "plain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plain.Cite this
@misc{plain_2026,
title = {plain},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plain},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
