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

The suspects were apprehended last Wednesday as plain clothes detectives were conducting surveillance and spotted 24-year-old Malon Mathis, who had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly selling drugs in the city, according to Lt. Eric Hanson of the Bristol Police Department. —

Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2025 Baloch is used to being followed everywhere by men, both in plain clothes and in uniform. —

Esha Mitra, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plainclothes