Vulgarize
/ˈvʌlɡəraɪz/noun
To make something common, ordinary, or less refined.
Did you know?Vulgarize comes from Latin vulgāris, meaning “of the common people,” from vulgus, “the crowd,” showing how social class can harden into a word’s moral judgment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“to wish, will; possibly the source of Latin vulgus through an older sense of “the crowd” as “the many who are wished/assembled” (etymology beyond Latin is uncertain).”
Latin
Latin
vulgus
“the common people; the crowd.”
Latin
Latin
vulgaris
“common, ordinary, belonging to the people.”
Late Latin
Latin
vulgarizare
“to make common, make familiar, render in the common language.”
Old French
Old French
vulgariser
“to make common; to bring into common use.”
Modern English
English
vulgarize
“to make common, coarse, or less refined.”