1
as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
his unabashed plainness in telling people exactly what he thought of them was often offensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in simplicity
the quality or state of having a form or structure of few parts or elements
the plainness and clean lines of that coffeemaker make it a piece of modern sculpture as well as a kitchen appliance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plainness
The through-line across all of it – the music, the acting, the international stages – is a pair of principles Lo articulates with plainness.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Maybe that’s because the interiors have a certain plainness — one that’s accurate to Georgian classicism but boring to Hollywood hotshots.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Maybe that’s because the interiors have a certain plainness — one that’s accurate to Georgian classicism but boring to Hollywood hotshots.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainness
Noun
-
Choose honesty, and let support flow in.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Now, because of his imprudent and inaccurate sloganeering, even with a majority of his appointees sitting on the board, the mayor faces the prospect of a legal and political fiasco that implicates the honesty of his most prominent promise to his constituents.—
Christian Browne,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Japanese pickling methods, such as nukazuke (fermentation in rice bran), emphasized minimalism and balance, reflecting the cultural values of harmony and simplicity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The beauty of cafe curtains lies in their simplicity.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some have gone further, publicly chewing khat on the campaign trail, a gesture that signals solidarity and which has become something of a ritual in Kenyan electoral cycles, with aspiring leaders competing to demonstrate the sincerity of their commitment to khat farmers and traders.—
Joseph Maina,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The sincerity of this aim can sometimes run counter to the sharp, excruciatingly realistic satire that’s previously been the show’s bailiwick, and sometimes still is.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The directness with which the camera meets the eyes of the film’s subjects suggests compassion for their disfigurement and isolation (indeed, Farrokhzad adopted a boy from the colony), but there are no interviews.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
It was simply presented, with a split screen between the actor onstage and the casting director in the audience, and the directness of the actors’ messages came through both to the nominees and to viewers.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fulmer also delivers some comedic moments as Alycia, whose fast-talking frankness can be quite funny, albeit tone-deaf at times.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.—
Amy Francombe,
Vogue,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mary Gaitskill is particularly good at this ideal combination of straightforwardness and pithiness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Villa’s offensive bluntness has exacerbated other wrinkles within Emery’s collective structure.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fortune spoke with six people who have invested in Anthropic to get a sense of how this key constituency is feeling about the situation, and found that opinions were not unified despite the company’s longstanding forthrightness about its values.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
WalletHub has studied deferred interest since 2012, periodically flagging retailers that offer the loans and rating their financing offers on transparency and forthrightness.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plainness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainness. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
