plebe
Americannoun
-
Also (at the U.S. Military and Naval academies) a member of the freshman class.
-
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
Contact with family was forbidden during the roughly two months of the harsh training period known as the plebe system, but the tactical officer charged with Moore’s fate that night made an exception.
From Washington Post • Nov. 2, 2022
There was even a contest to see how fast a plebe can patch a leaky pipe — an important skill for those likely to be spending much of their career at sea.
From Washington Times • May 18, 2022
Nearly captured by his foes, he was forced to walk like a plebe back to his new palace.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
