plainness

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English plain Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English plainness From plain + -ness.

1. The condition of being plain (in all senses)

   “Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!”

   “Yet her beauty clung to her like an identity she was trying to deny and her plainness kept slipping like a bad disguise.”

2. The product or result of being plain