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# plebeian

noun (a plebeian, plebeians); adjective (plebeian)

«plebeian» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (history) In ancient Rome, a plebeian was an ordinary citizen, not one of the rich noble families called patricians. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#m1)
2. (formal, often rude) Plebeian means common, ordinary or not refined; snobs use it to look down on people or things. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#m2)
3. (UK slang, rude) The short form «pleb» is an insult for someone thought to be common or low class. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons on Rome, plebeians and patricians struggled over rights; in everyday life the short insult «pleb» is used, especially in UK schools, and is unkind. Phrases: plebeians and patricians, plebeian tastes.

### Examples

- In Rome, most people were plebeians. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#x1)
- Plebeians could not at first marry patricians. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#x2)
- The plebeians fought for their own leaders, the tribunes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#x3)
- (formal) The snobby lady called the funfair plebeian. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#x4)
- (rude) «Don't be a pleb,» he sneered. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#x5)
- Calling someone a pleb is unkind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/#x6)

### Note

Say pleh-BEE-un. Spelling: «-beian». The short form «pleb» is rude in the UK. Look down on nobody: in history plebeians were the ordinary working people.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «plebeian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/plebeian/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«plebeian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/plebeian.html) on Mova free.