plebs
plebs Lexical Profile
plebs Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British Ordinary, uncultured, or lower-class people, viewed collectively or in the plural (often used derogatorily).
"The minister faced severe backlash after reportedly referring to the station guards as mere plebs."
In ancient Rome, the general body of free Roman citizens who were not members of the patrician or equestrian classes.
"The Roman senate enacted several agrarian reforms to appease the growing discontent among the plebs."
Word Nuance & Usage
In historical contexts referring to ancient Rome, "plebs" is a collective singular noun taking a singular or plural verb; in modern informal British usage, it is the plural of "pleb" and carries a strongly derogatory, elitist connotation.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed directly from Latin plebs (genitive plebis), meaning "the common people" or "the multitude," possibly related to the Ancient Greek plethos ("multitude" or "crowd").