plebeian
/pliˈbiːən/noun, adjective
plebeian is spelled P-L-E-B-E-I-A-N: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, plebeian means “A member of the plebs, the common citizens of ancient Rome” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of plebeian is plebeians.
How many letters and syllables are in plebeian?
| Letters | 8: P-L-E-B-E-I-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 56,788th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is plebeian?
Plebeian appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce plebeian?
- /pliˈbiːən/
- /plɛbˈiːən/
Plebeian has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-plebeian.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of plebeian
- plebeians plural
- plebian
- more plebeian comparative
- most plebeian superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does plebeian mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A member of the plebs, the common citizens of ancient Rome.
- 2
A commoner, particularly (derogatory) a low, vulgar person.
adjective
- 1
Of or concerning the plebs, the common citizens of ancient Rome.
To what purpose be the plebeian Magistrates ordeined?
- 2
Of or concerning the common people.
- 3
Common, particularly (derogatory) vulgar, crude, coarse, uncultured.
For to plebeyan wits, it is as good, As to be silent, as not vnderstood.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Plebeian in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | plébéien |
| German | Plebejer , plebejisch |
| Portuguese | plebeu |
| Spanish | plebeyo , barriobajero |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does plebeian come from?
From Latin plēbēius (“a commoner; common”) + -an (adjective-forming suffix), from Latin plēbēs + -ius (adjective-forming suffix), possibly under the influence of Middle French plebeyen, plebein, plebien (“a commoner”) and plebeien (“concerning the common people”). Cf. Medieval Latin plēbēiānus (“a commoner”), from plēbēius + -ānus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).