plainspoken

adjective

plain·​spo·​ken ˈplān-ˈspō-kən How to pronounce plainspoken (audio)
plainspokenness noun

Examples of plainspoken in a Sentence

a plainspoken woman who never hesitated to speak the unvarnished truth
Recent Examples on the Web The plainspoken Padilla told story after story about each tenant, each street, in equal parts English and Spanish. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2023 Those remarks—plainspoken, commonsensical, serene—are unusual for any authority figure to make, but particularly for a Pope. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2023 And they’re pretty straightforwardly plainspoken about it, too. Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Dec. 2022 With a 66% approval rating, López Obrador is one of the world’s most popular presidents, beloved by many for his plainspoken style and his pledge to put the poor first in a country beset by entrenched inequality. Kate Linthicumstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2022 Bolsonaro’s plainspoken approach, coupled with an economic rebound, appears to be having some effect. Fox News, 28 Oct. 2022 The raw emotion is a little unexpected from Tirschwell, a plainspoken fast talker who last year mounted a brief Republican primary campaign for New York City mayor. Maria Aspan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2022 Laboe, a plainspoken man with sharp business instincts, dove in and promoted the music. Esmeralda Bermudezstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2022 Shot without flourishes, the movie has a plainspoken visual flow to it. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plainspoken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plainspoken was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near plainspoken

Cite this Entry

“Plainspoken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plainspoken. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

plainspoken

adjective
plain·​spo·​ken -ˈspō-kən How to pronounce plainspoken (audio)
: speaking or spoken frankly
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