plebe
Americannoun
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Also (at the U.S. Military and Naval academies) a member of the freshman class.
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Obsolete. plebeian.
noun
Etymology
Origin of plebe
First recorded in 1605–15; short for plebeian
Vocabulary lists containing plebe
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“He was a very sharp plebe, a very intelligent young man,” said retired Navy officer Gregory Glaros, the company commander often quizzing Cooper at the academy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
He’s one of those sci-fi characters whose normal Earthman name distinguishes him as a plebe among patricians.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2024
“The energy is really high. This is something we’ve been working on,” said Daniel Mullan, 18, a plebe from Long Island, N.Y.
From Washington Times • May 18, 2022
Todd McCarthy, plebe summer officer in charge, told The Capital Gazette.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2021
He was new to the job at Valley Forge, we were his first plebe class, and I was his first major challenge.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
