plainclothes

1 of 2

adjective

plain·clothes ˈplān-ˈklō(t͟h)z

: 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

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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

Noun

Page oversaw operations including dispatch and evidence technicians, according to his interview with investigators and the city’s report into the shooting, and was in plain clothes that day. —

Lomi Kriel, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for plainclothes