plainchant: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 / Low FrequencyAcademic, Historical, Musical / Technical, Formal
Quick answer
What does “plainchant” mean?
A form of medieval church music sung in unison without instrumental accompaniment and using a single melodic line.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A form of medieval church music sung in unison without instrumental accompaniment and using a single melodic line.
Broadly refers to any simple, unaccompanied, monophonic vocal music, especially liturgical music, often synonymous with Gregorian chant. It also can metaphorically describe a simple, direct style of speaking or presentation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or usage difference. Both variants use the term in identical contexts.
Connotations
Identical connotations of antiquity, simplicity, and religious tradition.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties. Slightly higher frequency in UK publications due to historical context of cathedrals and choral traditions, but the difference is negligible.
Grammar
How to Use “plainchant” in a Sentence
The choir performed [OBJECT: plainchant]Scholars are studying [OBJECT: the plainchant] of the 12th century.[SUBJECT: Plainchant] forms the basis of Western liturgical music.The service featured [ADJUNCT: in plainchant].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “plainchant” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The clerics would plainchant the psalms each morning. (archaic/rare)
adjective
British English
- The plainchant tradition is central to the cathedral's history.
American English
- She specializes in plainchant manuscripts from the Notre Dame school.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in musicology, medieval studies, theology, and history. 'The manuscript preserves several cycles of Ambrosian plainchant.'
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be used by a musician or historian in casual conversation about music history.
Technical
Core usage context. Specific in music theory and liturgical practice to denote monophonic, non-metric vocal music with free rhythm.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “plainchant”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “plainchant”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “plainchant”
- Misspelling as 'planechant' or 'plainchant'.
- Using it to describe any simple song instead of its specific liturgical/historical context.
- Pronouncing the final 't' in 'chant' too softly.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Gregorian chant is the most famous and standardized type of plainchant (plainsong). Plainchant is the broader category encompassing all monophonic, liturgical chant of the Western church, including Ambrosian and Mozarabic rites.
Historically, in its pure form, plainchant was strictly vocal and unaccompanied. The term itself implies the absence of instrumental accompaniment, distinguishing it from later liturgical music.
Its primary use is religious and historical. However, it can be used metaphorically in literary or descriptive writing to evoke a style of speech or writing that is simple, repetitive, and solemn.
A hymn is a religious song of praise, which can be set to various musical styles (simple or complex, accompanied or not). Plainchant refers specifically to the monophonic, non-metric, traditional chant repertoire, often with a Latin text, that follows specific melodic modes.
A form of medieval church music sung in unison without instrumental accompaniment and using a single melodic line.
Plainchant is usually academic, historical, musical / technical, formal in register.
Plainchant: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpleɪn.tʃɑːnt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpleɪn.tʃænt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “as plain as plainchant (metaphorical, very rare)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of PLAIN (simple) + CHANT (sung words). It's a plain, unadorned way of chanting.
Conceptual Metaphor
SIMPLE COMMUNICATION IS PLAINCHANT (e.g., 'His speech was a plainchant of facts, without rhetorical flourish.').
Practice
Quiz
What is the most defining characteristic of plainchant?