Meanings
adverb
- Clearly, without any doubt or complexity.
I don't care what he calls it. What he's doing is theft, plain and simple.
Synonyms: no two ways about it
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbClearly, without any doubt or complexity.
Similar
Origin
Compound of plain + and + simple.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Italian bell'e buono
- bell'e buonowithout any doubt
Spanish simple y llanamente
- simple y llanamentewithout any doubt
Swedish helt enkelt
- helt enkeltwithout any doubt
Cite this entry
APA
plain and simple. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plain%20and%20simple
MLA
“plain and simple.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plain%20and%20simple. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “plain and simple,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plain%20and%20simple.
Source: plain and simple on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.