diff --git a/.changeset/fast-cats-tan.md b/.changeset/fast-cats-tan.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..958b1fff85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fast-cats-tan.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"stylelint": minor
+---
+
+Added: support for plugin objects as config values
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/configure.md b/docs/user-guide/configure.md
index 4fb0e6c8a7..31f141144a 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide/configure.md
+++ b/docs/user-guide/configure.md
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ For example, [stylelint-scss](https://github.com/stylelint-scss/stylelint-scss)
 
 You'll find more in [awesome stylelint](https://github.com/stylelint/awesome-stylelint#plugins).
 
-To use one, add a `"plugins"` array to your config, containing "locaters" identifying the plugins you want to use. As with `extends`, above, a "locater" can be either a:
+To use one, add a `"plugins"` array to your config, containing either [plugin objects](../developer-guide/plugins.md) or "locaters" identifying the plugins you want to use. As with `extends`, above, a "locater" can be either a:
 
 - npm module name
 - absolute path
diff --git a/lib/__tests__/plugins.test.js b/lib/__tests__/plugins.test.js
index 7d3d61d6d9..adac1e3f22 100644
--- a/lib/__tests__/plugins.test.js
+++ b/lib/__tests__/plugins.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ const configRelativeAndExtendRelative = {
 	},
 };
 
+const configPluginRequire = {
+	plugins: [require('./fixtures/plugin-warn-about-foo')],
+	rules: {
+		'plugin/warn-about-foo': 'always',
+		'block-no-empty': true,
+	},
+};
+
 const processorRelative = postcss().use(
 	stylelint({ config: configRelative, configBasedir: __dirname }),
 );
@@ -52,6 +60,7 @@ const processorRelativeAndExtendRelative = postcss().use(
 		configBasedir: __dirname,
 	}),
 );
+const processorPluginRequire = postcss().use(stylelint({ config: configPluginRequire }));
 
 it('one plugin runs', async () => {
 	const result = await processorRelative.process(cssWithFoo, { from: undefined });
@@ -108,6 +117,39 @@ it('config with its own plugins extending another config that invokes a plugin w
 	expect(result.warnings()[0].node).toBeTruthy();
 });
 
+it('plugin with CJS require()', async () => {
+	const result = await processorPluginRequire.process(cssWithFoo, { from: undefined });
+
+	expect(result.warnings()).toHaveLength(2);
+	expect(result.warnings()[0].text).toBe('found .foo (plugin/warn-about-foo)');
+	expect(result.warnings()[1].text).toBe('Unexpected empty block (block-no-empty)');
+	expect(result.warnings()[0].node).toBeTruthy();
+});
+
+it('plugin with ESM import()', async () => {
+	const result = await postcss()
+		.use(
+			stylelint({
+				config: {
+					// Following object mocks `await import()` style imports, since
+					// jest without node --experimental-vm-modules enabled fails to
+					// support dynamic ESM imports.
+					plugins: [{ default: require('./fixtures/plugin-warn-about-foo') }], // Similar to `await import()`
+					rules: {
+						'plugin/warn-about-foo': 'always',
+						'block-no-empty': true,
+					},
+				},
+			}),
+		)
+		.process(cssWithFoo, { from: undefined });
+
+	expect(result.warnings()).toHaveLength(2);
+	expect(result.warnings()[0].text).toBe('found .foo (plugin/warn-about-foo)');
+	expect(result.warnings()[1].text).toBe('Unexpected empty block (block-no-empty)');
+	expect(result.warnings()[0].node).toBeTruthy();
+});
+
 describe('plugin using exposed rules via stylelint.rules', () => {
 	const cssWithDirectiveLower = '/** @@check-color-hex-case */ a { color: #eee; }';
 	const cssWithDirectiveUpper = '/** @@check-color-hex-case */ a { color: #EEE; }';
diff --git a/lib/augmentConfig.js b/lib/augmentConfig.js
index 636ffde31f..aa9208f551 100644
--- a/lib/augmentConfig.js
+++ b/lib/augmentConfig.js
@@ -150,7 +150,13 @@ function absolutizePaths(config, configDir, cwd) {
 	}
 
 	if (config.plugins) {
-		config.plugins = [config.plugins].flat().map((lookup) => getModulePath(configDir, lookup, cwd));
+		config.plugins = [config.plugins].flat().map((lookup) => {
+			if (typeof lookup === 'string') {
+				return getModulePath(configDir, lookup, cwd);
+			}
+
+			return lookup;
+		});
 	}
 
 	if (config.processors) {
@@ -322,7 +328,13 @@ function addPluginFunctions(config) {
 	const pluginFunctions = {};
 
 	for (const pluginLookup of normalizedPlugins) {
-		let pluginImport = require(pluginLookup);
+		let pluginImport;
+
+		if (typeof pluginLookup === 'string') {
+			pluginImport = require(pluginLookup);
+		} else {
+			pluginImport = pluginLookup;
+		}
 
 		// Handle either ES6 or CommonJS modules
 		pluginImport = pluginImport.default || pluginImport;
diff --git a/types/stylelint/index.d.ts b/types/stylelint/index.d.ts
index 0e8b02ada8..a2d7f0e87f 100644
--- a/types/stylelint/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/stylelint/index.d.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ declare module 'stylelint' {
 		export type Severity = 'warning' | 'error';
 
 		export type ConfigExtends = string | string[];
-		export type ConfigPlugins = string | string[];
+		export type PluginType =
+			| { default?: { ruleName: string; rule: Rule } }
+			| { ruleName: string; rule: Rule };
+		export type ConfigPlugins = string | PluginType | (string | PluginType)[];
 		export type ConfigProcessor = string | [string, Object];
 		export type ConfigProcessors = string | ConfigProcessor[];
 		export type ConfigIgnoreFiles = string | string[];