Standard Lemma guide

plainsong

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: P L EY1 N S AO2 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A form of monophonic chant in unison using the Gregorian scale, sung in various Christian churches.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plainchant

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A cantus firmus or theme chosen for contrapuntal treatment; so called because often an actual fragment of plain-song.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The simple notes of an air, without ornament or variation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A plain unvarnished statement, without exaggeration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plainchant, Gregorian chant

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chant

Narrower terms: cantus firmus

History

Etymology

From plain + song, calque of Latin cantus planus.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: грегорианско пеене (gregoriansko peene) — monophonic chant
  • Esperanto: plejnkanto — monophonic chant
  • Finnish: latinalainen kirkkolaulu — monophonic chant
  • French: plain-chant — monophonic chant
  • German: Cantus planus — monophonic chant
  • Hungarian: gregorián ének — monophonic chant
  • Hungarian: cantus planus — monophonic chant
  • Hungarian: cantus gregorianus — monophonic chant
  • Hungarian: cantus choralis — monophonic chant
  • Icelandic: sléttsöngur — monophonic chant
  • Irish: cantaireacht eaglasta — monophonic chant
  • Irish: réchantaireacht — monophonic chant
  • Italian: canto piano — monophonic chant
  • Latin: cantus planus — monophonic chant
  • Persian: سادهخوانی — monophonic chant
  • Portuguese: cantochão — monophonic chant
  • Spanish: canto llano — monophonic chant
  • Vietnamese: bình ca — monophonic chant