different between transparent vs plain

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin tr?nsp?r?ns, tr?nsp?r?ntis (“transparent”), present participle of transpare?, from Latin trans + pare?. Displaced native Old English þurhs?ene.

Pronunciation

• (General American)
  • (Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA^(key): /t?æn(t)s?pæ??nt/, /t?ænz-/
  • (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /t?æn(t)s?p???nt/, /t?ænz-/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /t?æn(t)s?pæ??nt/, /t?ænz?pæ??nt/

Adjective

transparent (comparative more transparent, superlative most transparent)

1. (of a material or object) See-through, clear; having the property that light passes through it almost undisturbed, such that one can see through it clearly.

   The waters of the lake were transparent until the factory dumped waste there.

   • 1897, H. G. Wells, The Invisible Man, chapter 19,

     "You make the glass invisible by putting it into a liquid of nearly the same refractive index; a transparent thing becomes invisible if it is put in any medium of almost the same refractive index."

2. (of a system or organization) Open, public; having the property that theories and practices are publicly visible, thereby reducing the chance of corruption.
3. Obvious; readily apparent; easy to see or understand.

   His reasons for the decision were transparent.

4. (signal processing) Having the property of transparency, i.e. sufficiently accurate that the compressed result is perceptually indistinguishable from the uncompressed input.
5. (computing) Not noticeable because it happens automatically or in the background; invisible.
   • 2003, Rolf Oppliger, Security Technologies for the World Wide Web (page 34)

     In order to make that transparent to the user, browsers usually cache the usernames and passwords and retransmit them automatically each time they contact the server.

Usage notes

• (see-through, clear): The term translucent is similar in meaning, but describes a material or object that diffuses light as it passes through. Looking through a transparent substance (such as a window), one can recognize objects on the other side. Looking through a translucent substance (such as frosted glass), one cannot see objects clearly, only light and shadow.

Synonyms

• (see-through, clear): see-through, diaphanous, clear, crystalline, limpid
• (obvious): apparent, clear, obvious

Antonyms

• (see-through, clear): opaque
• (obvious): obscure, opaque
• nontransparent
• non-transparent

Coordinate terms

• translucent

Derived terms

• transparently

Related terms

• transparency
• transparently
• transparentness

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin tr?nsp?r?ns, tr?nsp?r?ntis (“transparent”), present participle of transpare?, from Latin trans + pare?.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /t??ns.p???ent/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /t??ns.p???en/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /t?ans.pa??ent/
• Rhymes: -ent

Adjective

transparent (masculine and feminine plural transparents)

1. transparent

   Antonym: opac

Derived terms

• transparentment

Related terms

• transparència

Further reading

• “transparent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “transparent” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “transparent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “transparent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Czech

Noun

transparent m

1. banner or placard

Danish

Adjective

transparent

1. transparent

Noun

transparent c or n (singular definite transparenten or transparentet, plural indefinite transparenter)

1. banner
2. transparency, overhead

Synonyms

• (banner): banner n
• (transparency): overhead c

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin tr?nsp?r?ns, tr?nsp?r?ntis (“transparent”), present participle of transpare?, from Latin trans + pare?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t???s.pa.???/

Adjective

transparent (feminine singular transparente, masculine plural transparents, feminine plural transparentes)

1. transparent; see-through

   Le verre est transparent.

   The glass is transparent.

2. translucid; allowing light to pass through

   Le voile est transparent.

   The veil is translucid.

3. clear

   un ciel transparent — a clear sky

   une lumière transparente — a clear light

4. transparent, easy to understand, unambiguous

   une allusion transparente — an unambiguous allusion

5. unnoticed; invisible

   J'étais transparent à ses regards.

   I was invisible to him/her.

6. (figuratively) transparent; not hiding anything

   Notre comptabilité est transparente.

   Our accounting is transparent.

7. (linguistics) having the same meaning in several languages

   un mot transparent — an international word

Antonyms

• (linguistics): faux-ami

Related terms

• transparence

Noun

transparent m (plural transparents)

1. paper having ruled lines put underneath a white sheet of paper in order to write straight

   Cet enfant ne saurait écrire sans transparent.

2. (obsolete) screen lit from behind (now: enseigne lumineuse)

   Le soir, cette boutique avait pour enseigne un magnifique transparent.

3. plastic film used to show images with an overhead

   La présentation était trop rapide. J'ai à peine eu le temps de recopier les transparents.

References

• “transparent” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Further reading

• “transparent” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Etymology

18th century, from French transparent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?anspa???nt/

Adjective

transparent (comparative transparenter, superlative am transparentesten)

1. translucent (allowing light to pass through)

   Synonym: lichtdurchlässig

2. (less common) fully transparent; see-through

   Synonym: durchsichtig

3. (figuratively) transparent

   Synonyms: durchschaubar, nachvollziehbar

Declension

Derived terms

• Transparent
• Transparentpapier
• Transparenz

Further reading

• “transparent” in Duden online

Latin

Verb

tr?nsp?rent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of tr?nsp?re?

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From French transparent, from Medieval Latin transparens, from Latin transparere

Adjective

transparent (indefinite singular transparent, definite singular and plural transparente, comparative mer transparent, superlative mest transparent)

1. transparent (quality of a material)

Synonyms

• gjennomsiktig

Noun

transparent m (definite singular transparenten, indefinite plural transparenter, definite plural transparentene)
transparent n (definite singular transparentet, indefinite plural transparent or transparenter, definite plural transparenta or transparentene)

1. a banner
2. a transparency (for use with a projector)

Synonyms

• (banner): banner

References

• “transparent” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From French transparent, from Medieval Latin transparens, from Latin transparere

Adjective

transparent (indefinite singular transparent, definite singular and plural transparente)

1. transparent (quality of a material)

   Synonyms: gjennomsiktig, gjennomsynleg

Noun

transparent m (definite singular transparenten, indefinite plural transparentar, definite plural transparentane)

1. a banner

   Synonym: banner

2. a transparency (for use with a projector)
3. a White Transparent cultivar of apple

Usage notes

• (banner; transparency): In these senses, this noun was considered grammatically neuter prior to a 2018 spelling decision.

References

• “transparent” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

From French transparent, from Medieval Latin tr?nsp?r?ns, present participle of transpare?, from Latin trans + pare?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tran?spa.r?nt/

Noun

transparent m inan

1. banner

Declension

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French transparent, Medieval Latin tr?nsp?r?ns, tr?nsp?r?ntis (“transparent”), present participle of transpare?, from Latin trans + pare?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?tran.spa?rent/

Adjective

transparent m or n (feminine singular transparent?, masculine plural transparen?i, feminine and neuter plural transparente)

1. transparent

Declension

Related terms

• transparen??
• transp?rea

See also

• translucid
• str?veziu
• clar
• limpede

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)

1. (now rare, regional) Flat, level. [from 14th c.]

   • The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.

2. Simple.
   1. Ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished. [from 14th c.]
   2. Of just one colour; lacking a pattern.

   3. 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

   4. (of food) Having only few ingredients, or no additional ingredients or seasonings; not elaborate, without toppings or extras. [from 17th c.]

   5. (computing) Containing no extended or nonprinting characters (especially in plain text). [from 20th c.]
3. Obvious.
   1. 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.

   2. Downright; total, unmistakable (as intensifier). [from 14th c.]

4. Open.
   1. 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.

   2. Clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
      • 1711, Henry Felton, Dissertation on Reading the Classics

        Our troops beat an army in plain fight.

5. Not unusually beautiful; unattractive. [from 17th c.]

6. (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)

1. (colloquial) Simply.

   It was just plain stupid.

   I plain forgot.

2. (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)

1. (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;

Verb

plain (third-person singular simple present plains, present participle plaining, simple past and past participle plained)

1. (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 […].

2. (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.

   • 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)

1. 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

2. (archaic) Synonym of field in reference to a battlefield.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Arbuthnot to this entry?)
3. (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)

1. (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,

   • 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:

2. (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.

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)

1. 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)

1. (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)

1. full (not empty)

Old French

Etymology 1

From Latin pl?nus.

Adjective

plain m (feminine plaine)

1. 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

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)

1. 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)

1. 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)

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader) full