Plain

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pleɪn/

Definitions

1. An area of flat, level land with few trees, or something simple and undecorated
2. A level expanse of land lacking significant vegetation ; lacking decoration or complexity in appearance or design ; easily understood or evident without confusion
3. A broad, even ground surface with scant trees ; uncomplicated in style or presentation ; unmistakably clear and straightforward

Etymology: The adjective "plain" in the sense "simple and clear" grew out of a word meaning "flat." Its Latin ancestor "plānus" meant level or even, and it gave English both the adjective and the noun for a flat stretch of land, so the sense of smoothness came first and the idea of openness came later. A flat, unobstructed surface is easy to see across, and the step from there to "clear to the eye" and then "clear to the mind" is short. The same Latin root is behind a surprising family of words. English "plane" and "piano" are doublets, meaning they came into the language by different routes from one source, and Spanish "llano" (a flat grassland) is in the same family. Plainly, "plan" belongs here too, since a plan is a flat drawing of a layout.

Synonyms: simple, clear, unadorned, obvious, evident

Antonyms: complex, complicated, ornate, difficult, ambiguous