What is the Latin word for plainly?

The usual Latin words for “plainly” are clārus, perspicuus, ēvidēns; also plānus, lūcidus, dīlūcidus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“plainly” in Latin

clārusclear, bright; renowned, famous, famed, distinguished, illustrious, celebrated, glorious; upstanding, respected perspicuustransparent, clear; evident, manifest, perspicuous ēvidēnsapparent, visible, evident, manifest, plain, clear plānuslevel, flat, even; intelligible, clear lūcidusclear, bright, shining, full of light; clear, perspicuous, lucid dīlūcidusclear, bright; distinct ēnōdōto untangle, unknot; to explain, elucidate, unfold ēnucleōto take out the kernel, stone, etc. from (a fruit, grape); to make clear, explain, make plain exprimōto squeeze out; to press (out); to express; to imitate or copy certuscertain; fixed, settled, firm; resolved, determined

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

plainly

Clearly, clare: perspicue: evidenter: plane: lucide: dilucide: enodate: enucleate: expresse: to speak plainly, perspicue dicere: plane et aperte dicere: plane et dilucide loqui: distincte dicere (plainly and intelligibly); plane et articulate eloqui (so that every syllable is heard; Gell., 5, 9): to say a thing plainly and clearly, articulatim distincteque dicere aliquid (opposed to fuse disputare aliquid et libere, Cic., Legg., 1, 13, 36): to write plainly, plane, aperte, perspicue scribere: distincte ac distribute scribere (with distinctness and proper order or arrangement; with reference to the sense): litterate perscribere (with regard to the letters; Vid: Cic., Pis., 25, extr.): to write plainly to anybody, enucleate perscribere ad aliquem: to pronounce plainly, exprimere et explanare verba (Plin., Paneg., 64, 3): ☞ evidenter is used by Livy, and therefore correct; but there is no authority for evidenter videre; it should be plane, aperte, penitus, perspicue videre (Krebs):

Obviously, undoubtedly, sine dubio (Cic.); procul dubio (Liv.); haud dubie (not sine ullo dubio): sine ulla dubitatione (without any hesitation): certe (certainly). This reading is plainly the right one, haec lectio haud dubie or sine dubio vera est: this reading is plainly preferable, haec lectio sine ulla dubitatione praeferenda est. Often by circumlocution with manifestum est. He is plainly a fool, manifestum est, eum esse stultum.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for plainly?: The usual Latin words for “plainly” are clārus, perspicuus, ēvidēns; also plānus, lūcidus, dīlūcidus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.