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

"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

Models that accepted requests in plain text were not very sophisticated, like SmarterChild, the chatbot we all thought was cutting-edge A.I. in the 2000s.

From Slate • Dec. 28, 2023

The use of plain text will also help to insure against future obsolescence.

From ERPANET Case Study: Project Gutenberg by ERPANET