different between plainness vs perspicuity

English

Etymology

From plain +? -ness

Noun

plainness (usually uncountable, plural plainnesses)

1. (uncountable) The condition of being plain (in all senses)
2. (countable) The product or result of being plain

Translations

Synonyms

• (condition of being plain—ordinary): normalcy, normaldom, normality, normalness; see also Thesaurus:normality

Anagrams

• snaplines

English

Alternative forms

• perspicuite (obsolete) [15^th C.]
• perspicuitie (obsolete) [15^th–16^th CC.]
• perspicuitye (obsolete) [16^th C.]
• perspicuyte (obsolete) [pre-1500]
• perspycuitie (obsolete) [pre-1500]

Etymology

From the Classical Latin perspicuit?s (“transparency”, “lucidity”, “self-evidency”, (in post-Classical Latin): “penetration”, “insight”), from perspicuus (“clear”, “evident”); compare perspicacity and the French perspicuité. Surface analysis, perspicuous +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: p?r'sp?kyo?o??ti, IPA^(key): /?p??sp??kju??ti/
• (US) enPR: p?r'sp?kyo?o??di, IPA^(key): /?p?sp??kju?ti/

Noun

perspicuity (countable and uncountable, plural perspicuities)

1. Clarity, lucidity, especially in expression; the state or characteristic of being perspicuous.
2. Perspicacity; insight.
   • 1965, "The Stupid Spy," Time, 19 Mar,

     Thompson, a high school dropout, said with rare perspicuity that he doubted the FBI would hire him.

3. (rare) Transparency; translucence.
   • 1900, Edith Wharton, The Touchstone, ch. 11,

     It must have been on some such day of harsh sunlight, the incisive February brightness that gives perspicuity without warmth.

Synonyms

• perspicuousness

Related terms

• perspicacious
• perspicaciously
• perspective

References

• “perspicuity” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]
• “perspicuity, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [draft revision; Mar. 2010]
• Webster, Noah (1828) , “perspicuity”, in An American Dictionary of the English Language
• perspicuity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “perspicuity” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "perspicuity" in Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.