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   plain

   /plān/

   adjective

   • 1. not decorated or elaborate; simple or ordinary in character: "good plain food" Similar simpleordinaryunadornedundecoratedunembellishedunornamentedunpretentiousunostentatiousunfussyhomelyhomespunbasicmodestunsophisticatedpenny plainwithout frillsstarkseverespartanausterechastebareunclutteredrestrainedmutedunpatternedpatternlesseverydayworkadayOpposite fancyelaborate
   • ▪ without a pattern; in only one color: "a plain fabric"
   • ▪ bearing no indication as to source, contents, or affiliation: "donations can be put in a plain envelope"
   • 2. (of a person) having no pretensions; not remarkable or special: "a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him" Similar straightforwardunpretentioussimpleordinaryaverageunassumingunaffectedhonest-to-goodnessingenuousartlessguilelesssincerecracker-barrelOpposite pretentiousaffected
   • ▪ (of a person) without a special title or status: "for years he was just plain Bill"
   • 3. easy to perceive or understand; clear: "the advantages were plain to see" Similar obviousclearcrystal clearas clear as crystalevidentapparentmanifestpatentvisiblediscernibleperceptibleperceivablenoticeabledetectablerecognizableobservableunmistakabletransparentpalpabledistinctpronouncedmarkedstrikingconspicuousovertself-evidentindisputableas plain as a pikestaffstaring someone in the facewrit largewritten all over someoneas plain as dayplain to seebeyond (a) doubtbeyond questioninformal:as plain as the nose on one's facestanding/sticking out like a sore thumbstanding/sticking out a mile
   • ▪ (of written or spoken usage) clearly expressed, without the use of technical or abstruse terms: "written in plain English" Similar intelligiblecomprehensibleunderstandablecoherentaccessibleuncomplicatedlucidperspicuousunambiguousclearsimplestraightforwardclearly expressedclear-cutdirectdigestibleuser-friendlyOpposite unclearobscure
   • ▪ not using concealment or deception; frank: "he recalled her plain speaking" Similar candidfrankoutspokenforthrightplain-spokendirecthonesttruthfulbluntdownrightunvarnishedbaldstraight from the shoulderexplicitunequivocalinformal:upfrontarchaic:roundfree-spoken
   • 4. (of a person) not beautiful or attractive: "the dark-haired, rather plain woman" Similar unattractiveunprepossessingas plain as a pikestaffuglyill-favoredunlovelyordinary-lookinghomelyinformal:not much to look atfuglyno oil paintinghuckeryOpposite attractivebeautifulgood-looking
   • 5. sheer; simple (used for emphasis): "the main problem is just plain exhaustion" Similar sheerpuredownrightout-and-outunmitigatedranknothing other than
   • 6. denoting or relating to a type of knitting stitch produced by putting the needle through the front of each stitch from left to right.

   adverb

   • 1. clearly; unequivocally (used for emphasis): informal "perhaps the youth was just plain stupid"

   noun

   • 1. a large area of flat land with few trees: "the coastal plain"
   • ▪ another term for Great Plains

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French plain, from Latin planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. plainness noun

   Scrabble Points: 7

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2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › plainPlain Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › plain

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   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word plain as an adjective, noun, adverb, and verb. Find synonyms, antonyms, examples, etymology, and related phrases of plain.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishPLAIN | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   PLAIN definition: 1. not decorated in any way; with nothing added: 2. paper that has no lines on it: 3. obvious and…. Learn more.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › plainPLAIN Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › plain

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   Plain definition: clear or distinct to the eye or ear. See examples of PLAIN used in a sentence.

5. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › plainPlain - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › plain

   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.

6. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishPLAIN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   Learn the meaning, pronunciation, and usage of the word 'plain' in different contexts. Find synonyms, antonyms, examples, and related words for 'plain' in British and American English.

7. www.thefreedictionary.com › plainPlain - definition of plain by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › plain

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   Plain can be an adjective, noun, or adverb with different meanings, such as clear, simple, level, or honest. Learn how to use plain in sentences and find synonyms, antonyms, and related words.

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishplain adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Learn the meaning, pronunciation and examples of the word plain as an adjective in English. Find out how to use plain to describe simplicity, clarity, honesty, ugliness and more.