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.
We might be witnessing history; no woman has ever been the plebe to swap the hats.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
“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 wanted to present himself as among ‘the best and the brightest,’ not some common plebe who’d held workaday jobs,” Garrow said of Obama’s first run for the presidency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
