Search results
- Dictionaryplebeian/plɪˈbiːən/
noun
- 1. (in ancient Rome) a commoner.
adjective
- 1. of or belonging to the commoners of ancient Rome.
Powered by Oxford Dictionaries
adjective. formal disapproving uk / pləˈbiː.ən / us / pləˈbiː.ən / Add to word list. belonging to a low social class: He used to make fun of what he called her "plebeian origins ". He retained a plebeian taste in food and drink. Synonyms. common. lower class old-fashioned. vulgar disapproving. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
In ancient Rome, the plebeians or plebs [1] were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary.
1. : of or relating to plebeians. 2. : crude or coarse in manner or style : common. plebeianly adverb. Synonyms. Adjective. baseborn. common. humble. ignoble. inferior. low-life. lowborn. lower-class. lowly. lumpen.
plebeian, member of the general citizenry in ancient Rome as opposed to the privileged patrician class. The distinction was probably originally based on the wealth and influence of certain families who organized themselves into patrician clans under the early republic, during the 5th and 4th centuries bce.
of, relating to, or characteristic of the common people, esp those of Rome. 2. lacking refinement; vulgar. plebeian tastes. noun. 3. one of the common people, esp one of the Roman plebs. 4. a person who is coarse or lacking in discernment.
When you hear the word plebeian used to describe a form of art or taste, it means that while something is liked by a lot of people, it may not be of the highest quality or taste. Both soap operas and reality television shows have been described as plebeian forms of entertainment.
adjective. formal disapproving us / pləˈbiː.ən / uk / pləˈbiː.ən / Add to word list. belonging to a low social class: He used to make fun of what he called her "plebeian origins ." He retained a plebeian taste in food and drink. Synonyms. common. lower class old-fashioned. vulgar disapproving. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
plebeian is a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element; perhaps modelled on a French lexical item. Etymons: Latin plēbēius, ‑an suffix. See etymology. Nearby entries. pleb, n. & adj. 1795–. plebal, adj. 1606.
Definition of plebeian adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Define plebeian. plebeian synonyms, plebeian pronunciation, plebeian translation, English dictionary definition of plebeian. adj. 1. Of or relating to the common people of ancient Rome: a plebeian magistrate. 2. Of, belonging to, or characteristic of commoners. 3. Unrefined or...
