plainness

English

Etymology

From plain +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation

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Noun

plainness (usually uncountable, plural plainnesses)

1. (uncountable) The condition of being plain (in all senses)
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence
     And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!

   • 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:

     Yet her beauty clung to her like an identity she was trying to deny and her plainness kept slipping like a bad disguise.

2. (countable) The product or result of being plain

Synonyms

• (condition of being plain—ordinary): normalcy, normaldom, normality, normalness; see also Thesaurus:normality

Derived terms

• unplainness

Translations

the condition of being plain

Bulgarian: простота (bg) f (prostota) German: Einfachheit (de) f, Schlichtheit (de) f Greek: Ancient: λιτότης f (litótēs) Ottoman Turkish: ساده‌لك (sadelik), دوزلك (düzlük)

Anagrams

• snaplines