plainclothes

1 of 2

adjective

plain·​clothes ˈplān-ˈklō(t͟h)z How to pronounce plainclothes (audio)
: dressed in civilian clothes while on duty
used especially of a police officer

plain clothes

2 of 2

noun

: civilian clothes : the dress of an ordinary citizen
… he had brought in a stenographer, more cops, and an older man in plain clothes.E. L. Doctorow
used especially in describing the clothes of a police officer
a detective in plain clothes

Examples of plainclothes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In the early morning hours of February 4, 1999, Amadou was standing outside his building when four white plainclothes officers drove by. CBS News, 9 June 2020 The agents are part of the Ohio Investigative Unit, which is made up of plainclothes peace officers responsible for enforcing Ohio’s alcohol, tobacco and food stamp fraud laws. Sean McDonnell/akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati.com, 22 May 2020
Noun
Several people in plain clothes who appeared to be associated with Phoenix police could be seen scouting the area. Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 1 Sep. 2024 There are two uniformed officers and six plain clothes and the director of the prison. Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plainclothes 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plainclothes.' 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

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plainclothes was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near plainclothes

plain chocolate

plainclothes

plain clothes

Cite this Entry

“Plainclothes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plainclothes. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

plainclothes

adjective
: dressed in civilian clothes while on duty
used especially of a police officer
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