plain·clothes
ˈplān-ˈklō(t͟h)z 
: dressed in civilian clothes while on duty
—used especially of a police officer
: 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 officerE. L. Doctorowa detective in plain clothes
Examples of plainclothes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebCBS 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
Taylor, 26, was at home with her boyfriend on March 13 when three plainclothes officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department arrived to execute a search warrant in a drug case.
—NBC News, 13 May 2020
Video taken in the East Village on Saturday shows a plainclothes officer tackling one man on the sidewalk as a crowd of bystanders looks on.
—Brianna Provenzano, refinery29.com, 4 May 2020
Kneeling on the top of Wright's back or neck to keep him down, the plainclothes officer started jawing and cursing at bystanders.
—Michael R. Sisak, USA TODAY, 4 May 2020
His plainclothes security agents loiter and listen in cafes and hotel lobbies.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2020
As Áñez and her entourage arrived, a soldier and a plainclothes bodyguard took up protective positions: one behind her, the other by a window overlooking the plaza.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2020
Detective Vaughan Ettienne, a bodybuilder and veteran member of plainclothes anti-crime teams in Brooklyn, is also on the list.
—Joseph Goldstein, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2019
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023
Video circulating on social media show the extensive presence of security guards and plain clothes police forces especially in central Tehran and Saqez, the hometown of Amini.
—Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2023
Along with the use of drones, Oak Brook police utilized plain clothes officers for the first time, who blended in with the crowd; seven K-9s and bike officers.
—Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2023
Local and international news agencies were covering the event live as officials in uniform and plain clothes entered and searched different sections of the former prime minister’s residence for allegedly sheltering some people involved in the May 9 violence.
—Bloomberg.com, 19 May 2023
They were dressed in plain clothes and did not identify themselves as police even after the door was broken down.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023
Mino was dressed in plain clothes and participated as an actor in the training.
—Isabella Volmert, Dallas News, 25 Apr. 2023
Nicholas Daniloff had been preparing to depart Moscow after five years as a foreign correspondent there when a half-dozen men in plain clothes jumped from a van and restrained his hands behind his back.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2023
One of the officers was in plain clothes.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 23 Mar. 2023
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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
Taylor, 26, was at home with her boyfriend on March 13 when three plainclothes officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department arrived to execute a search warrant in a drug case.
—NBC News, 13 May 2020
Video taken in the East Village on Saturday shows a plainclothes officer tackling one man on the sidewalk as a crowd of bystanders looks on.
—Brianna Provenzano, refinery29.com, 4 May 2020
Kneeling on the top of Wright's back or neck to keep him down, the plainclothes officer started jawing and cursing at bystanders.
—Michael R. Sisak, USA TODAY, 4 May 2020
His plainclothes security agents loiter and listen in cafes and hotel lobbies.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2020
As Áñez and her entourage arrived, a soldier and a plainclothes bodyguard took up protective positions: one behind her, the other by a window overlooking the plaza.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2020
Detective Vaughan Ettienne, a bodybuilder and veteran member of plainclothes anti-crime teams in Brooklyn, is also on the list.
—Joseph Goldstein, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2019
Noun
Security camera footage from the incident showed three men in black masks rushing into the store when a fourth man, dressed in plain clothes without a mask, held open the store’s locked door.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023
Video circulating on social media show the extensive presence of security guards and plain clothes police forces especially in central Tehran and Saqez, the hometown of Amini.
—Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2023
Along with the use of drones, Oak Brook police utilized plain clothes officers for the first time, who blended in with the crowd; seven K-9s and bike officers.
—Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2023
Local and international news agencies were covering the event live as officials in uniform and plain clothes entered and searched different sections of the former prime minister’s residence for allegedly sheltering some people involved in the May 9 violence.
—Bloomberg.com, 19 May 2023
They were dressed in plain clothes and did not identify themselves as police even after the door was broken down.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023
Mino was dressed in plain clothes and participated as an actor in the training.
—Isabella Volmert, Dallas News, 25 Apr. 2023
Nicholas Daniloff had been preparing to depart Moscow after five years as a foreign correspondent there when a half-dozen men in plain clothes jumped from a van and restrained his hands behind his back.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2023
One of the officers was in plain clothes.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 23 Mar. 2023
See More
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
Dictionary Entries Near plainclothes
Cite this Entry
“Plainclothes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plainclothes. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Legal Definition
plainclothes
adjective
plain·clothes
ˈplān-ˈklōz, -ˈklōt͟hz
: dressed in civilian clothes while on duty
—used especially of a police officer
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