Dictionary

plebs en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /plɛbz/

Etymology

From Latin plēbs (“the plebeian class”), variant of earlier plēbēs. Later also understood as the plural of pleb.

Meanings

1. (form-of, plural) plural of pleb
   form of pleb
2. (historical, plural, plural-only, uncountable) The plebeian class of Ancient Rome or its equivalent in other ancient societies.
   • Why I am going with my pidgeons to the tribunall Plebs. c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], line 92:
3. (plural, plural-only, uncountable) The common people, especially (derogatory) the mob.
   • For 'tis an Easier Thing To make Trees Leape, and Stones selfe-burthens bring (As once Amphion to the walls of Thæbes,) a. 1657, George Daniel, "The Author" in Poems, Vol. II, p. 131
   • 1993, Max Cavalera, "Refuse/Resist", Sepultura, Chaos A.D. Chaos A.D. / Tanks On The Streets / Confronting Police / Bleeding The Plebs
   • The history of Palermo was punctuated by such uprisings; when they happened, the great barons simply fled to the safety of their country villas, leaving the urban plebs free to sack their palaces in the city. 2000, James Fentress, chapter 1, in Rebels & Mafiosi: Death in a Sicilian Landscape:
   • The lesser plebs are not unscrupulous troublemakers. 2009, Erica Benner, chapter 8, in Machiavelli's Ethics:

Forms

Deriveds

plebiscite · tribune of the plebs

Relateds

plebe · plebeian · pleb

Synonyms

everyone · crowd · populace · herd · plebs · proletariat · plebeiate · commonage · working class · commonalty · multitude · canaille · great unhosed · rabble · demos · trash · many · unwashed · unwashed masses · peasantry · rank and file · riffraff · third estate · hoi polloi · commonality · general public · mob · great unwashed · odds and sods · masses · lower class

Translations (24)

ja 庶民 (The common people) · gl plebe (The common people) · pl plebs (The common people) · ru плебе́и (The common people) · sh плебс (The common people) · cmn 庶民 (The common people) · cs plebs (The common people) · ru плебс (The common people) · la plebs (The common people) · it plebe (The common people) · fr plèbe (The common people) · is plebbi (The common people) · fa عوام (The common people) · ko 서민 (The common people) · de Plebs (The common people) · eo popolamaso (The common people) · pt plebe (The common people) · ro plebe (The common people) · es plebe (The common people) · rsk плебс (The common people) · es populacho (The common people) · sh plebs (The common people) · ru чернь (The common people) · fi plebeijit (The common people)