unornamented

Unornamented is an English adjective describing something that lacks decorative details or embellishments. The term emphasizes simplicity, function, and restraint rather than ornate decoration, and it can convey a deliberate design choice as well as a descriptive observation.

In architecture and design, unornamented styles reject applied ornament in favor of honest construction, material quality, and clean lines. This approach is associated with modernist and minimalist movements, though the descriptor can apply to any work whose form is driven by function rather than decoration. In furniture, fashion, and typography, unornamented design relies on cut, proportion, texture, and material rather than decorative motifs to achieve its effect.

In language, unornamented prose or speech uses plain, restrained diction without rhetorical flourish or ornamental devices. The term can thus describe tone, style, or presentation across disciplines, not only visual arts.

Etymology and related terms: unornamented is formed from the prefix un- added to ornamented, with ornament derived from Old French ornament and ultimately from Latin ornamentum. The word has been used in English to describe plainness or restraint since the late medieval period, with its modern association expanding in the 19th and 20th centuries. Related terms include plain, undecorated, austere, unadorned, and minimalist.