vulgarize

American  

[vuhl-guh-rahyz] / ˈvʌl gəˌraɪz /

especially British, vulgarise

verb (used with object)

vulgarized, vulgarizing

1. to make vulgar or coarse; lower; debase.

   to vulgarize standards of behavior.

2. to make (a technical or abstruse work) easier to understand and more widely known; popularize.

3. to translate (a work) from a classical language into the vernacular.

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vulgarize British  

/ ˈvʌlɡəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to make commonplace or vulgar; debase

2. to make (something little known or difficult to understand) widely known or popular among the public; popularize

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Other Word Forms

• unvulgarize
  verb (used with object)
• vulgarization
  noun
• vulgarizer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of vulgarize

First recorded in 1595–1605; vulgar + -ize