noun / adjective
plebeian
pluh-BEE-un/pləˈbiːən/
Belonging to the common people rather than the upper classes.
The plain loaf and clay cup suit the table's humble, plebeian setting.
Etymology
The ancestor described belonging to Rome’s common people rather than its patricians. That social-class description broadened into a judgment of something as ordinary or lacking refinement.
In context
is they that are the most numerous— that have had neither an illustrious beginning nor a remarkable mid-course, and so will have an end without a name, like an ordinary plebeian line.
More examples
- The novel follows a plebeian who marries into a noble family.
- In ancient Rome, plebeians fought for greater political rights.
- The prince disguises himself in plebeian clothing.
Forms
plebeian · plebeians