different between plain vs familiar
plain
English
Pronunciation
- enPR: pl?n, IPA(key): /ple?n/, [p?l?e?n]
- Rhymes: -e?n
- Homophone: plane
Etymology 1
From Middle English pleyn, borrowed from Anglo-Norman pleyn, playn, Middle French plain, plein, and Old French plain, from Latin pl?nus (“flat, even, level, plain”).
Alternative forms
- plaine (obsolete)
Adjective
plain (comparative plainer, superlative plainest)
- (now rare, regional) Flat, level. [from 14th c.]
- The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.
- Simple.
- Ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished. [from 14th c.]
- Of just one colour; lacking a pattern.
- Simple in habits or qualities; unsophisticated, not exceptional, ordinary. [from 16th c.]
- 1654, Henry Hammond, Of Fundamentals
- plain yet pious Christians
- 1861, Abraham Lincoln, Message to Congress in Special Session, July 4th
- the plain people
- 1654, Henry Hammond, Of Fundamentals
- (of food) Having only few ingredients, or no additional ingredients or seasonings; not elaborate, without toppings or extras. [from 17th c.]
- (computing) Containing no extended or nonprinting characters (especially in plain text). [from 20th c.]
- Ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished. [from 14th c.]
- Obvious.
- Evident to one's senses or reason; manifest, clear, unmistakable. [from 14th c.]
- 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 2, ch. XV, Practical — Devotional
- In fact, by excommunication or persuasion, by impetuosity of driving or adroitness in leading, this Abbot, it is now becoming plain everywhere, is a man that generally remains master at last.
- 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 2, ch. XV, Practical — Devotional
- Downright; total, unmistakable (as intensifier). [from 14th c.]
- Evident to one's senses or reason; manifest, clear, unmistakable. [from 14th c.]
- Open.
- Honest and without deception; candid, open; blunt. [from 14th c.]
- The Quaker was no sooner assured by this fellow of the birth and low fortune of Jones, than all compassion for him vanished; and the honest plain man went home fired with no less indignation than a duke would have felt at receiving an affront from such a person.
- Clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
- 1711, Henry Felton, Dissertation on Reading the Classics
- Our troops beat an army in plain fight.
- 1711, Henry Felton, Dissertation on Reading the Classics
- Honest and without deception; candid, open; blunt. [from 14th c.]
- Not unusually beautiful; unattractive. [from 17th c.]
- (card games) Not a trump.
Synonyms
- (lacking adornment or ornamentation): no-frills, simple, unadorned, unseasoned; see also Thesaurus:bare-bones
- (of just one colour): monochrome
- (not exceptional): normal, ordinary
- (obvious): blatant, ostensible; see also Thesaurus:obvious or Thesaurus:explicit
- (intensifier): consarn, darned, stinking; see also Thesaurus:damned
- (honest and without deception): frank, sincere; see also Thesaurus:honest
Antonyms
- bells and whistles
- decorative
- exotic
- fancy
- ornate
Derived terms
Related terms
- plane
- planar
Translations
Adverb
plain (not comparable)
- (colloquial) Simply.
- It was just plain stupid.
- I plain forgot.
- (archaic) Plainly; distinctly.
- Tell me plain: do you love me or no?
Etymology 2
From Anglo-Norman plainer, pleiner, variant of Anglo-Norman and Old French pleindre, plaindre, from Latin plangere, present active infinitive of plang?.
Alternative forms
- plein
Noun
plain (plural plains)
- (rare, poetic) A lamentation.
- 1815, Sir Walter Scott, The Lady of the Isles, Canto IV, part IX
- The warrior-threat, the infant's plain,
The mother's screams, were heard in vain;
- The warrior-threat, the infant's plain,
- 1815, Sir Walter Scott, The Lady of the Isles, Canto IV, part IX
Verb
plain (third-person singular simple present plains, present participle plaining, simple past and past participle plained)
- (reflexive, obsolete) To complain. [13th–19th c.]
- c. 1390, William Landland, Piers Plowman, Prologue:
- Persones and parisch prestes · pleyned hem to þe bischop / Þat here parisshes were pore · sith þe pestilence tyme […].
- c. 1390, William Landland, Piers Plowman, Prologue:
- (transitive, intransitive, now rare, poetic) To lament, bewail. [from 14th c.]
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir J. Harrington to this entry?)
- c. 1600, Joseph Hall, Satires
- Thy mother could thee for thy cradle set
Her husband's rusty iron corselet;
Whose jargling sound might rock her babe to rest,
That never plain'd of his uneasy nest.
- Thy mother could thee for thy cradle set
- 1936, Alfred Edward Housman, More Poems, "XXV", lines 5–9
- Then came I crying, and to-day, / With heavier cause to plain, / Depart I into death away, / Not to be born again.
Related terms
Etymology 3
From Old French plain, from Latin pl?num (“level ground, a plain”), neuter substantive from pl?nus (“level, even, flat”). Doublet of llano, piano, and plane.
Noun
plain (plural plains)
- An expanse of land with relatively low relief, usually exclusive of forests, deserts, and wastelands.
- 1961, J. A. Philip. Mimesis in the Sophistês of Plato. In: Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association 92. p. 467.
- For Plato the life of the philosopher is a life of struggle towards the goal of knowledge, towards “searching the heavens and measuring the plains, in all places seeking the nature of everything as a whole”
- Synonyms: flatland, grassland
- Hypernyms: land, terrain
- Hyponyms: prairie, steppe
- 1961, J. A. Philip. Mimesis in the Sophistês of Plato. In: Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association 92. p. 467.
- (archaic) Synonym of field in reference to a battlefield.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Arbuthnot to this entry?)
- (obsolete) Alternative spelling of plane: a flat geometric field.
Usage notes
- As with grassland(s), flatland(s), &c., plains can function as the plural of plain (There are ten principal low plains on Mars) or as its synonym (She lives in the plains), with a vague sense of greater expansiveness.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Verb
plain (third-person singular simple present plains, present participle plaining, simple past and past participle plained)
- (obsolete, transitive) To level; to raze; to make plain or even on the surface.
- 1594, Christopher Marlowe, Edward II, London: William Jones,[1]
- Frownst thou thereat aspiring Lancaster,
The sworde shall plane the furrowes of thy browes,
- Frownst thou thereat aspiring Lancaster,
- 1612, George Wither, Prince Henrie’s Obsequies, Elegy 24, in Egerton Brydges (editor), Restituta, Volume I, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, 1814, p. 399,[2]
- Though kept by Rome’s and Mahomet’s chiefe powers;
They should not long detain him there in thrall:
We would rake Europe rather, plain the East;
Dispeople the whole Earth before the doome:
- Though kept by Rome’s and Mahomet’s chiefe powers;
- 1594, Christopher Marlowe, Edward II, London: William Jones,[1]
- (obsolete, transitive) To make plain or manifest; to explain.
- c. 1608, William Shakespeare, Pericles, Act III, Prologue,[3]
- What’s dumb in show, I’ll plain with speech.
- c. 1608, William Shakespeare, Pericles, Act III, Prologue,[3]
Anagrams
- Aplin, Lipan, Palin, Pinal, in lap, lapin, plani-
Dalmatian
Etymology
From Latin pl?nus. Compare Italian pieno, Romansch plain, Romanian plin, French plein.
Adjective
plain (feminine plaina)
- full
French
Etymology
From Old French plain, from Latin pl?nus. Doublet of plan and piano.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pl??/
- Homophones: plains, plein, pleins
Adjective
plain (feminine singular plaine, masculine plural plains, feminine plural plaines)
- (obsolete) plane
Derived terms
- plain-pied
- plain-chant
Further reading
- “plain” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Anagrams
- alpin, lapin
Middle French
Etymology
From Old French plain, from Latin pl?nus.
Adjective
plain m (feminine singular plaine, masculine plural plains, feminine plural plaines)
- full (not empty)
Old French
Etymology 1
From Latin pl?nus.
Adjective
plain m (feminine plaine)
- full (not empty)
- circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:
- De tant come ele l'ot veü,
- Que plains estoit de felenie.
- As she had seen
- He was full of evil
- Antonym: vuit
- circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:
Descendants
- French: plein
Etymology 2
From Latin pl?num (“level ground, a plain”), neuter substantive from pl?nus (“level, even, flat”).
Noun
plain m (oblique plural plainz, nominative singular plainz, nominative plural plain)
- plain (flat area)
Synonyms
- plaine
Descendants
- ? Dutch: plein
- ? Middle English:
- English: plain
- Scots: plain
Etymology 3
From Latin pl?nus (“level, even, flat”).
Adjective
plain m (oblique and nominative feminine singular plaine)
- flat (not even or mountainous)
Romansch
Alternative forms
- plein (Sursilvan)
- plagn (Sutsilvan, Surmiran)
Etymology
From Latin pl?nus.
Adjective
plain m (feminine singular plaina, masculine plural plains, feminine plural plainas)
- (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader) full
plain From the web:
- what plaintiff means
- what plain mean
- what plain is directly below the himalayas
- what plain stretches across europe
- what plain yogurt is good for dogs
- what plain yogurt good for
- what plain jane means
- what planet is closest to the sun
familiar
English
Etymology
From Latin famili?ris (“pertaining to servants; pertaining to the household”). Doublet of familial. Displaced native Old English h?wc?þ.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /f??m?l.i.?/
- (General American) IPA(key): /f??m?l.j?/, /f??m?l.i.?/, /f??m?l.j?/
- (US)
Adjective
familiar (comparative more familiar, superlative most familiar)
- Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.
- Acquainted.
- Intimate or friendly.
- Inappropriately intimate or friendly.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Camden to this entry?)
- Of or pertaining to a family; familial.
- 1822, Lord Byron, Werner
- familiar feuds
- 1822, Lord Byron, Werner
Synonyms
- (acquainted): acquainted
- (intimate, friendly): close, friendly, intimate, personal
- (inappropriately intimate or friendly): cheeky, fresh, impudent
Antonyms
- (known to one): unfamiliar, unknown
- (acquainted): unacquainted
- (intimate): cold, cool, distant, impersonal, standoffish, unfriendly
Derived terms
- overfamiliar
- familiarity
- familiarly
Related terms
- familial
Translations
Noun
familiar (plural familiars)
- (witchcraft) An attendant spirit, often in animal or demon form.
- (obsolete) A member of one's family or household.
- A member of a pope's or bishop's household.
- (obsolete) A close friend.
- (historical) The officer of the Inquisition who arrested suspected people.
Synonyms
- nigget
Translations
See also
- daimon (a tutelary spirit that guides a person)
Further reading
- Familiar in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin famili?ris.
Adjective
familiar (masculine and feminine plural familiars)
- familiar
Derived terms
- familiaritzar
- familiarment
- unifamiliar
Related terms
- familiaritat
Noun
familiar m or f (plural familiars)
- relative
Related terms
- família
Further reading
- “familiar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “familiar” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
- “familiar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “familiar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Galician
Etymology
From Latin famili?ris.
Adjective
familiar m or f (plural familiares)
- of family
- close, familiar
- daily, plain
Noun
familiar m (plural familiares)
- relative
Synonyms
- parente
- achegado
Related terms
- familia
- familiaridade
- familiarizar
Further reading
- “familiar” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Noun
familiar m
- indefinite plural of familie
Portuguese
Etymology
From Latin famili?ris.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /f?.mi.?lja?/
Adjective
familiar m or f (plural familiares, comparable)
- familiar (known to one)
- of or relating to a family
Derived terms
- familiarmente
Related terms
- familiaridade
Noun
familiar m (plural familiares)
- (usually in the plural) relative (person in the same family)
- familiar (attendant spirit)
- Synonym: espírito familiar
Related terms
- família
Further reading
- “familiar” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.
Romanian
Etymology
From French familier, from Latin familiaris.
Adjective
familiar m or n (feminine singular familiar?, masculine plural familiari, feminine and neuter plural familiare)
- familiar
Declension
Related terms
- familiaritate
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin famili?ris.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fami?lja?/, [fa.mi?lja?]
Adjective
familiar (plural familiares)
- familial, family
- close, familiar
- daily, plain
Derived terms
Noun
familiar m (plural familiares)
- relative, family member
- Synonym: miembro de la familia, pariente
Related terms
- familia
- familiaridad
- familiarizar
Further reading
- “familiar” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
familiar From the web:
- what familiar mean
- what familiar do i have
- what familiar game was prohibited by buddha
- what familiars can warlocks have
- what familiar spirit mean
- what familiar does iruma get
- what familiar does draco have
- what familiar does issei get
you may also like
- plain vs familiar
- onset vs invasion
- unfamiliar vs naive
- compunction vs humiliation
- convivial vs frolicsome
- intensely vs passionately
- efficacious vs influential
- ebbing vs regressive
- decrease vs diminition
- easygoing vs unexcitable
- fury vs umbrage
- endowment vs boon
- abusive vs sharp
- charge vs handling
- imprudent vs shortsighted
- put vs array
- pixie vs hobgoblin
- bound vs bump
- rim vs confines
- neighbourly vs gracious