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plebeian

[ pli-bee-uhn, plee-bee-uhn ]
/ plÉŖĖˆbi ən, ĖˆpliĖŒbi ən /
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See synonyms for: plebeian / plebeians 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.
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Origin of plebeian

First recorded in 1525ā€“35; from Latin plēbēi(us) ā€œof the plebsā€ (plēbē(s) ā€œthe common peopleā€ + -ius adjective suffix) + -an adjective suffix; see plebs

OTHER WORDS FROM plebeian

pleĀ·beĀ·ianĀ·ism, nounpleĀ·beĀ·ianĀ·ly, adverbpleĀ·beĀ·ianĀ·ness, noununĀ·pleĀ·beĀ·ian, adjective

Words nearby plebeian

pleater, pleather, pleb, plebby, plebe, plebeian, plebiscite, plebs, plecopteran, plectognath, plectron
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to plebeian

common, low, mean, ordinary, pedestrian, proletarian, commonalty, peasant, pleb, plebe, banal, coarse, conventional, humble, ignoble, lowborn, lowly, popular, traditional, uncultivated

How to use plebeian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plebeian

plebeian
/ (pləĖˆbiĖÉ™n) /
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 of plebeian

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 Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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