Plebeian
/plɪˈbiːən/noun
A member of the common people; ordinary or non-elite.
Did you know?Plebeian comes from Latin plebeius, linked to plebs, the common people of Rome, a political class whose name became a lasting label for mass society.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pleh₂-
“To fill, make full”
Latin
Latin
plēre
“To fill”
Latin
Latin
plēbs / plēbēs
“The common people, the mass of ordinary citizens”
Late Latin
Latin
plebeius
“Of or belonging to the common people”
Middle English
English
plebeian
“A commoner; a member of the lower social class”
Modern English
English
plebeian
“A member of the common people; ordinary or non-elite”
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