Definition of plainclothes
: dressed in civilian clothes while on duty —used especially of a police officer
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of plainclothes from the Web
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Three plainclothes agents from the federal bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives were seated in a pickup truck, in west Baltimore.
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Jorge L. Guzman, 21, of the 800 block of Superior Street, Aurora, is accused of pointing a gun at two plainclothes Aurora police officers, then exchanging gunfire with one of them and at least two other officers.
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Plainclothes officers shadow terror suspects all over the city, and additional detectives are stationed overseas.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plainclothes'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
1856
First Known Use of plainclothes
1856
PLAINCLOTHES Defined for English Language Learners
plainclothes
play
adjective
Definition of plainclothes for English Language Learners
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: dressed in ordinary clothes and not a uniform while on duty
Law Dictionary
plainclothes
play
adjective
plain·clothes
\ˈplān-ˈklōz, -ˈklōthz\
Legal Definition of plainclothes
: dressed in civilian clothes while on duty —used especially of a police officer
Learn More about plainclothes
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