Definitions

plain text

NOUN

ordinary readable form

Synonyms

WEAK

ASCII clear text decoded plaintext unencrypted text vanilla text

Antonyms

WEAK

ciphertext encoded encrypted rich text

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Birthright citizenship is rooted in the plain text of the Fourteenth Amendment, which declares that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” are citizens.

From Salon • May 11, 2026

It focuses tightly on the plain text of a law and disregards legislative history—committee reports, floor debates, and the like—as irrelevant.

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

"The scrambled plain text was found, but without the coding method or the key. This is a very important distinction," he separately told a news conference in November.

From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025

"Turns out that jokes are way less funny if people don't know the context and the delivery is in plain text," a subsequent post read.

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2024

It can convert from PG-RST to HTML, EPUB, PDF and plain text.

From The Project Gutenberg RST Manual by Marcello Perathoner