Definition of 'plain'
Word forms: plainer, plainest, plains
1. adjective
A plain object, surface, or fabric is entirely in one color and has no pattern, design, or writing on it.
2. adjective
Something that is plain is very simple in style.
3. adjective
If a fact, situation, or statement is plain, it is easy to recognize or understand.
4. adjective
If you describe someone as plain, you think they look ordinary and not at all beautiful.
5. countable noun
A plain is a large flat area of land with very few trees on it.
6.
See in plain clothes
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
plain
Word Frequency
plain in American English 1
adjective
6.
not complicated; simple
plain sewing
10.
not of high rank or position; such as characterizes the common people; ordinary
a plain man
noun
11.
an extent of level country
adverb
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈevident
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
plainly (ˈplainly)
adverb
plainness (ˈplainness)
noun
Word Frequency
plain in British English 1
adjective
1.
flat or smooth; level
4.
6.
without adornment or show
a plain coat
8.
not attractive
10. knitting
of or done in plain
noun
12.
13. (in billiards)
a.
b.
the player using this ball
adverb
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
plainly (ˈplainly) adverb
plainness (ˈplainness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French: simple, from Latin plānus level, distinct, clear
Word Frequency
plain in British English 2
verb
a dialect or poetic word for complain
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C14 pleignen, from Old French plaindre to lament, from Latin plangere to beat
Examples of 'plain' in a sentence
plain
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In other languages
plain
British English: plain
/pleɪn/ ADJECTIVE
A plain object, surface, or fabric is entirely in one colour and has no pattern, design, or writing on it.
A plain carpet makes a room look bigger.
- American English: plain /ˈpleɪn/
- Arabic: بَسِيط
- Brazilian Portuguese: plano
- Chinese: 简单的
- Croatian: običan
- Czech: nezdobený
- Danish: ensartet
- Dutch: effen
- European Spanish: sencillo
- Finnish: tasainen
- French: simple pas compliqué
- German: schlicht
- Greek: απέριττος
- Italian: semplice
- Japanese: 平坦な
- Korean: 평평한
- Norwegian: jevn
- Polish: gładki
- European Portuguese: plano
- Romanian: uni
- Russian: плоский
- Spanish: sencillo
- Swedish: enkel okonstlad
- Thai: เรียบๆ
- Turkish: düz desensiz, süssüz
- Ukrainian: простий
- Vietnamese: bằng phẳng
British English: plain
/pleɪn/ NOUN
A plain is a large, flat area of land with very few trees on it.
Once there were 70 million buffalo on the plains.
- American English: plain /ˈpleɪn/
- Arabic: سَهْل
- Brazilian Portuguese: planície
- Chinese: 平原
- Croatian: ravnica
- Czech: pláň
- Danish: slette
- Dutch: vlakte
- European Spanish: llanura
- Finnish: tasanko
- French: plaine
- German: Ebene
- Greek: πεδιάδα
- Italian: pianura
- Japanese: 平原
- Korean: 평야
- Norwegian: slette
- Polish: równina
- European Portuguese: planície
- Romanian: câmpie
- Russian: равнина
- Spanish: llanura
- Swedish: rätstickning
- Thai: ที่ราบ
- Turkish: ova
- Ukrainian: рівнина
- Vietnamese: đồng bằng
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Definition of plain from the Collins English Dictionary
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