Plebian
/plɪˈbiːən/
nounadjectiveC1
Definition
A plebian is a person who belongs to the common or ordinary group in society, not part of the rich or noble class. Originally, it referred to the general population in ancient Rome who were not patricians (the wealthy, ruling class). As an adjective, it describes something typical of ordinary people or simple in style.
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See It in Action
(noun) A member of the common people, especially in ancient Rome
- •The plebians demanded more rights from the patricians.
- •Most of the population in Rome were plebians, not nobles.
- •The plebians worked as farmers, merchants, and soldiers.
(adjective) Relating to ordinary people or simple, common things
- •The restaurant served plebian food, nothing fancy or expensive.
- •His plebian tastes favored simple clothes and basic meals.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "plebian" like "common" or "ordinary," but with a historical and social class meaning—like everyday people, not kings or nobles
- ✓Picture a busy city street full of regular people going about their daily work, not fancy parties or palaces
- ✓It's the feeling of being part of the big group of normal people, not the small group of very rich or powerful
- ✓Sounds like "plea-bee-an" → Imagine a bee (busy, working) asking (plea) for a small place in a big hive—simple, common worker bee
- ✓In stories or history, plebians are the everyday people who live normal lives, unlike kings or queens who have special power
- ✓NOT like "noble" or "aristocrat" (rich, powerful), plebian means ordinary and common
- ✓NOT like "elite" (small, powerful group), plebian refers to the large majority of people
- ✓NOT like "peasant" (which can mean poor farmers), plebian means common people in general, not just poor or rural
- ✓As an adjective, NOT like "luxurious" or "fancy," plebian things are simple, plain, or basic
Try Other Words
- •Commoner: a regular person without special rank or title (Use when talking about ordinary people in general)
- •Ordinary: normal, usual (Use when describing things or people that are not special or fancy)
- •Working-class: people who do manual or everyday jobs (Use when focusing on jobs and social class)
- •Peasant: a poor farmer or rural worker (Use when emphasizing rural or poor status, less common in modern speech)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "pleb-" from Latin "plebs" meaning "the common people" + "-ian" a suffix meaning "related to or belonging to"
- •Etymology: Comes from Latin "plebeius," referring to the common people of ancient Rome, contrasting with the patricians (the rich noble class)
- •Historical development: Originally used in Roman times to describe the large group of ordinary citizens who had fewer rights than nobles; later used more generally to mean common or ordinary
- •Modern usage: Used in history, literature, or sometimes informally to describe simple, ordinary people or things, sometimes with a slightly negative or humorous tone
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of "plebian" help us understand social classes in history and today?
•Can something be "plebian" in a good way, meaning simple and honest, or is it always negative? Why?
Fill in the blanks
1.The plebian class in ancient Rome had fewer ___ than the patricians.
2.When describing food as plebian, we mean it is ___ and not fancy or expensive.
3.Unlike nobles, plebians were the ___ people who worked in trades and farms.
4.The term plebian is NOT used to describe ___ or very rich people.
5.Sometimes, plebian tastes can mean someone prefers ___ and simple things in life.
6.The plebian soldiers fought bravely even though they had less ___ than the elite troops.
7.In modern speech, calling something plebian can mean it is very ___ or basic.