plain-clothes
Not in uniform
Plain-clothes describes police officers or other officials who wear ordinary civilian clothing rather than uniforms while on duty.
The term is almost always used attributively: plain-clothes detectives, plain-clothes officers.
Working in plain clothes allows law enforcement to blend in during surveillance or undercover operations.
The hyphenated form is standard, though plainclothes as one word also appears.
Secretly engaged in espionage
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
- unmarkedHaving no visible identification
plainclothesman · sleuth · shadowing · tail · narc · operative · agent · detective
Non-military person
- muftiIslamic law interpreter
- casualRelaxed and informal
- streetwearSkate and hip-hop clothing
- inconspicuousNot readily noticed
ordinary · everyday · informal · unobtrusive · blend · nondescript · unmarked · nonuniform
undercover
Secretly engaged in espionage
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
unmarked · plainclothesman · sleuth · shadowing · tail · narc · operative · agent · detective · inspector
civilian
Non-military person
- muftiIslamic law interpreter
- casualRelaxed and informal
- streetwearSkate and hip-hop clothing
inconspicuous · ordinary · everyday · informal · unobtrusive · blend · nondescript · unmarked · nonuniform · disguise
plain-clothesuniformed
Wearing prescribed outfit
badged · liveried · suited and booted · identifiable · marked
plain-clothesuniformed
Wearing prescribed outfit
marked · overt · visible · identifiable · conspicuous