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’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
They treated the incoming freshmen the same way they had been treated during their plebe year.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 17, 2023
As a plebe, you refer to yourself in the third person: “This plebe would like to go to the bathroom.”
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
