plebeian

[ pli-bee-uhn ]

/ plɪˈbi ən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR plebeian ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the common people.

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

common, commonplace, or vulgar: a plebeian joke.

noun

a member of the common people.

a member of the ancient Roman plebs.

Nearby words

pleat, pleater, pleb, plebby, plebe, plebeian, plebiscite, plebs, plecopteran, plectognath, plectron

Origin of plebeian

1525–35; < Latin plēbēi(us) of the plebs (plēbē(s) plebs + -ius adj. suffix) + -an

SYNONYMS FOR plebeian

3 lowbrow, low, ordinary, popular.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR plebeian ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

ple·be·ian·ism, nounple·be·ian·ly, adverbple·be·ian·ness, nounun·ple·be·ian, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for plebeian

Well; there is nothing like being a plebeian and a Prime Minister!
Vivian Grey|Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
Therefore, there is no harm in giving his plebeian name, which was Potts.
The Virgin of the Sun|H. R. Haggard
It was the old axiom of knight-errantry adapted to our own century, which made every weapon fair used against the plebeian!
Roland Cashel|Charles James Lever
All this he knew and reckoned with, for she was a princess and he but a plebeian passing by.
The Man From Brodney's|George Barr McCutcheon

He is loth to acknowledge that he was ever a plebeian and did all kinds of servile work.
Every-Day Errors of Speech|L. P. Meredith

British Dictionary definitions for plebeian

plebeian

/ (pləˈbiːən) /

adjective

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

lacking refinement; vulgarplebeian tastes

noun

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

a person who is coarse or lacking in discernment

Derived Forms

plebeianism, noun

Word Origin for plebeian

C16: from Latin plēbēius belonging to the people, from plēbs the common people of ancient Rome

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012