plebeian

American  

[pli-bee-uhn, plee-bee-uhn] / plɪˈbi ən, ˈpliˌbi ən /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the common people.

2. of, relating to, or belonging to the ancient Roman plebs.

3. common, commonplace, or vulgar.

   a plebeian joke.

   Synonyms:

   popular, ordinary, low, lowbrow

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noun

1. a member of the common people.

2. a member of the ancient Roman plebs.

plebeian British  

/ pləˈbiːən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the common people, esp those of Rome

2. lacking refinement; vulgar

   plebeian tastes

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noun

1. one of the common people, esp one of the Roman plebs

2. a person who is coarse or lacking in discernment

Other Word Forms

• plebeianism noun
• plebeianly adverb
• plebeianness noun
• unplebeian adjective

Etymology

Origin of plebeian

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin plēbēi(us) “of the plebs” ( plēbē(s) “the common people” + -ius adjective suffix) + -an adjective suffix; plebs

Example Sentences

All the enlightened reformers in Europe were desperately trying to eliminate the peasant peculiarities and plebeian dialects that divided the peoples of their nations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

So as a mere plebeian author interviewing Dan Brown for the first time, I needed to know: After you’ve sold 200 million books, does it get any easier?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025

The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were biplane and plebeian.

From New York Times • Feb. 18, 2023

What Brady loves most, far more than a Tag Heuer, is the plebeian surroundings of a locker room, the simple no-frills atmosphere with a brotherhood in egalitarian sweats.

From Washington Post • Jan. 15, 2022

And no one need fear that the numbers are being cooked either, since they appear in the prestigious Wall Street Journal, as well as in more plebeian papers.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos