PLEBEIAN Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

plebeian 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of plebeian

as in low

belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank wondered what the people at the country club would think of his plebeian origins

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plebeian

2 of 2

noun

as in proletarian

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of plebeian

Adjective

This one is about a regular old guy, a hedge knight in the plebeian population of Westeros, just trying to get by in a world that isn't kind to the common and poor. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026 Once upon a time, a doddering old man spoke of a dream about a united city in this empire’s capital, where every man, woman, and child could walk its streets and live a good life regardless of their patrician or plebeian birthright. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024

Noun

So much for plebeians like myself, who tended to plants at a local nursery for minimum wage at 17. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 29 May 2025 But an unpleasant incident with a public transit plebeian leads Leighton to ponder the direction of her life. — Rachel Seo, Variety, 2 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for plebeian

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plebeian

Adjective

Landrew came off the bench for the first time this preseason and used his physicality to get to the basket for a pair of layups in the first half while Oskar Giltay battled with 7-foot-4 Daniel Jacobsen down low.

— Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
The distance is worth it for travelers who want a budget-friendly hotel that still has loads of style, as prices tend to be significantly lower than downtown hotels.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of low

Noun

Now artists, who had only recently emerged as solo entrepreneurs, reverted to their erstwhile status as proletarians—indeed, as migrant workers.

— Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Fundamentally, the proletarian forfeits not so much income as individual freedom and the sovereignty of his or her class.

— Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

Definition of proletarian

Adjective

But new research is shedding light on what life was like for middle- and lower-class residents.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
The franchise centers around a dystopian nation called Panem, where rich and authoritarian leaders force twelve lower-class districts to submit two children to fight in a deadly, and televised, battle every year.

— Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026

Definition of lower-class

Noun

Previously, princesses who marry a commoner had to renounce their royal status and leave the royal family.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
The former couple had broken up in 1955, as Margaret weighed losing her royal income and claim to the throne against marrying Townsend (a commoner and divorcé).

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of commoner

Adjective

Fresh off a massive four-year, $180-million contract extension that solidified Reaves as a legitimate star player, the humble Arkansas native has elevated his game with the same mindset taught to him from his parents and older brother.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
In the early days, players were humble, and genuinely grateful just to have a place in the United States to play.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of humble

Noun

Instead of following his gut like some unenlightened pleb, Patrick trusts his spleen and his spleen alone.

— Laura Bradley, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2025
But because these monsters have yet to develop any fungal armor, runners are susceptible to gunshots, knives, and any other weaponry that would take out your average pleb.

— Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 20 Jan. 2023

Definition of pleb

Adjective

The prizes’ name is a reference to Ignatius (Ig) Nobel—a fictional character said to be a distant cousin of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel, for whom the Nobel Prizes are named—and is also a pun on the word ignoble.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026

Definition of ignoble

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“Plebeian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plebeian. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of plebeian

adjective

noun

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