plebeian
American Heritage Dictionary:
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ple·be·ian
(plĭ-bē'ən) 
adj.
plebeianly ple·be'ian·ly adv.
adj.
- Of or relating to the common people of ancient Rome: a plebeian magistrate.
- Of, belonging to, or characteristic of commoners.
- Unrefined or coarse in nature or manner; common or vulgar: plebeian tastes.
- One of the common people of ancient Rome.
- A member of the lower classes.
- A vulgar or coarse person.
[From Latin plēbius, from plēbs, plēb-, the common people.]
plebeianism ple·be'ian·ism n.plebeianly ple·be'ian·ly adv.
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
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plebeian
(Latin, plebs) Member of the general citizenry, as opposed to the patrician class, in the ancient Roman republic. Plebeians were originally excluded from the Senate and from all public offices except military tribune, and they were forbidden to marry patricians. Seeking to acquire equal rights, they carried on a campaign called Conflict of the Orders, developing a separate political organization and seceding in protest from the state at least five times. The campaign ceased when a plebeian dictator (appointed 287 ) made measures passed in the plebeian assembly binding on the whole community.
For more information on plebeian, visit Britannica.com.
Roget's Thesaurus:
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plebeian
adjective
- Lacking high station or birth: baseborn, common, déclassé, declassed, humble, ignoble, lowly, mean2, unwashed, vulgar. Archaic base2. See over/under.
noun
- The common people. common (used in plural), commonality, commonalty, commoner (used in plural), crowd, hoi polloi, mass (used in plural), mob, pleb (used in plural), populace, public, ruck1, third estate. See over/under.
Antonyms by Answers.com:
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plebeian
adj
Definition: base, lower-class
Antonyms: aristocratic, cultivated, noble, refined, rich, upper-class, wealthy
n
Definition: person of lower class
Antonyms: aristocrat, noble, patrician, rich, wealthy
Devil's Dictionary:
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plebeian
A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce
n.
An ancient Roman who in the blood of his country stained nothing but his hands. Distinguished from the Patrician, who was a saturated solution.
Word Tutor:
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plebeian
IN BRIEF: Having to do with common people; popular. In ancient Roman society, a member of the class of commoners.
The patrician citizens of Roman society had more privileges than the plebeian citizens.
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Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'plebeian'
Translations:
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Plebeian
Dansk (Danish)
n. - plebejer
adj. - plebejisk
Nederlands (Dutch)
plebejer, onadellijke, plebejisch, man uit het volk
Français (French)
n. - (Hist) plébéien (péj)
adj. - plébéien
Deutsch (German)
n. - Plebejer
adj. - plebejisch
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πληβείος, κοινός θνητός, λαϊκάντζα
adj. - πληβείος, αγροίκος
Português (Portuguese)
n., -
adj. - plebeu
Русский (Russian)
плебей, плебейский, простой
Español (Spanish)
n. - plebeyo
adj. - plebeyo, vulgar, común, ordinario, bajo, uno de la plebe
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - plebej, underklassare
adj. - underklassig, simpel
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
平民, 大众, 庶民, 平民的, 普通的, 一般的
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 平民, 大眾, 庶民
adj. - 平民的, 普通的, 一般的
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 평민, 대중
adj. - 평민의, 하층 계급의, 비천한
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 平民, 大衆
adj. - 平民の, 大衆の, 低俗な
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) العمي الروماني, أحد العامه (صفه) عامي, خشن, مبتذل, عادي
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - נחות-מעמד, פשוט-עם, גס, פלבאי
adj. - נחות-מעמד, פשוט-עם, גס
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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