Plebeian GRE Vocabulary Flashcard

Plebeian GRE Vocabulary Flashcard

/pliˈbiːən/ (adj & noun)

Definition

Adjective: (of people) belong to lower social castes, ordinary and common people, vulgar, tasteless, unrefined, conventional, philistine, bourgeoise, coarse, blue-collar, working class

Noun: a plebian person

Example

In the later republic, the term, plebeian, lost its indication of a social order or formal hereditary class, becoming used instead to refer to citizens of lower socioeconomic status. By the early empire, the word was used to refer to people who were not senators (of the empire or of the local municipalities) or equestrians.

The average plebeian did not come into a wealthy family; the politically active nobiles as a whole comprised a very small portion of the whole population. The average plebeian child was expected to enter the workforce at a young age. Plebeians typically belonged to a lower socio-economic class than their patrician counterparts, but there also were poor patricians and rich plebeians by the late republic.

Education was limited to what their parent would teach them, which consisted of only learning the very basics of writing, reading and mathematics. Wealthier plebeians were able to send their children to schools or hire a private tutor.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

Antonyms

aristocratic, noble, elite, cultured

Parts of speech

Noun: plebeianism