{
    "term": "plain",
    "partOfSpeech": "adjective",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "not decorated or complicated; simple",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a plain but elegant dress"
                },
                {
                    "text": "plain food"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The interior of the church was plain and simple."
                },
                {
                    "text": "plain yogurt *(= without sugar or fruit)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The dress was absolutely plain, but quite stunning."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The food was fairly plain, but well cooked."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I prefer plain, simple things."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He eats his popcorn plain."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Houses and homes"],
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "look", "seem"],
                "adverb": ["extremely", "fairly", "very"],
                "phrases": ["plain blue, white, etc."]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "without marks or a pattern on it",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "covers in plain or printed cotton"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Write on plain paper *(= without lines)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Patterned carpet shows the dirt less than a plain colour."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a range of plain and printed linens"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do you want plain or lined paper?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a plain white shirt"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Clothes and Fashion"],
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "look", "seem"],
                "adverb": ["extremely", "fairly", "very"],
                "phrases": ["plain blue, white, etc."]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "easy to see or understand",
            "sensetop": "plain to somebodyit is plain (to somebody) that…it is plain (to somebody) how, what, etc….plain from something (that…)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He **made it plain that** we should leave."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She made her annoyance plain."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The facts were **plain to see**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was a rip-off, **plain and simple**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is all very plain to me.",
                    "contextForm": "plain to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was plain that she wanted to leave.",
                    "contextForm": "it is plain (to somebody) that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was plain to everyone just how dangerous the site could be.",
                    "contextForm": "it is plain (to somebody) how, what, etc…."
                },
                {
                    "text": "What is quite plain from the evidence before me is (that) the figures are false.",
                    "contextForm": "plain from something (that…)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They made it plain that they were against the idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Within weeks, it became perfectly plain that we were in the grip of a tyrant."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He made it very plain that he wanted us to leave."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her intentions were plain enough."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was plain to us that they had left fairly recently."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "clear",
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "seem", "become"],
                "adverb": ["fairly", "very", "etc."],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "not trying to trick anyone; honest and direct",
            "labels": "(especially North American English)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**The plain fact is** that nobody really knows."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a politician with a reputation for **plain speaking**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a plain, straightforward sort of man"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He prided himself on being a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let's be plain about this: we will need to make some difficult choices."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Personal qualities"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "used to emphasize that something is very ordinary, not special in any way",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You don't need any special skills for this job, just plain common sense."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The situation thrives on half-truths and plain ignorance."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "everyday"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "not beautiful or attractive",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I've always had quite a plain face."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a rather plain woman"
                },
                {
                    "text": "As a child she was rather plain."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Appearance"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "describing a simple stitch used in knitting",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be simple and free from trouble",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "simply and clearly expressed, without using technical language",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a document written in plain English"
                },
                {
                    "text": "If you could put it in plain English I might be able to understand."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Teachers should encourage students to write in plain English."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very obvious",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pleɪn/",
                "audio": "pl/plain/plain__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pleɪn/",
                "audio": "pl/plain/plain__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French plain, from Latin planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’."
}