plainclothes
plainclothes Lexical Profile
plainclothes Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Wearing ordinary civilian clothes rather than an official uniform while on duty, especially to avoid drawing attention (typically used of police officers or detectives).
"Two plainclothes detectives were stationed near the entrance of the museum to monitor the crowd discreetly."
• noun
Ordinary civilian garments worn by a police officer, detective, or security official while on duty in place of a recognizable uniform.
"The officers patrolled the transit station in plainclothes so they could blend in with the morning commuters."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a single closed or hyphenated word ('plainclothes' or 'plain-clothes'), it is primarily used attributively before a noun (e.g., 'a plainclothes detective'); after a preposition, the open two-word phrase is typically preferred (e.g., 'officers working in plain clothes').