plebs

P3L1E1B3S1
/plɛbz/

noun

The plebeian class of Ancient Rome or its equivalent in other ancient societies.

Similar
plebeiatecanaillecommonalitycommonaltycrowdcommonagedemoseveryone
OriginLatin plēbs →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of pleb
nounplebs (uncountable)
  1. historicalpluralplural onlyuncountableThe 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

    Synonyms: plebeiate

  2. pluralplural onlyuncountableThe common people, especially (derogatory) the mob.

    1993, Max Cavalera, "Refuse/Resist", Sepultura, Chaos A.D. Chaos A.D. / Tanks On The Streets / Confronting Police / Bleeding The Plebs

    3 more examples

    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

    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

    Synonyms: canaille, commonality, commonalty, crowd, commonage, demos, everyone, general public

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe plebeian class of Ancient Rome or its equivalent in other ancient societies.

Similar
plebeiate

nounThe common people, especially (derogatory) the mob.

Similar
canaillecommonalitycommonaltycrowdcommonagedemoseveryonegeneral publicgreat unhosedgreat unwashedherdhoi polloilower classmanymassesmobmultitudeodds and sodspeasantry
Also see
canaillecommonaltyhoi polloiplebeiaterabbleriffraffunwashed masses

Origin

  1. Latinplēbs“the plebeian class”
  2. Englishplebs

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

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 庶民
  • 庶民 (shùmín)The common people
Czech plebs
  • plebsThe common people
Esperanto popolamaso
  • popolamasoThe common people
Finnish plebeijit
  • plebeijitThe common people
French plèbe
  • plèbeThe common people
German Plebs
  • PlebsThe common people
Icelandic plebbi
  • plebbiThe common people
Italian plebe
  • plebeThe common people
Japanese 庶民
  • 庶民 (shomin)The common people
Korean 서민
  • 서민 (seomin)The common people
Latin plebs
  • plebsThe common people
Persian عوام
  • عوام ('avâm)The common people
Polish plebs
  • plebsThe common people
Portuguese plebe
  • plebeThe common people
Romanian plebe
  • plebeThe common people
Russian плебс, чернь
  • плебс (plebs)The common people
  • чернь (černʹ)The common people
  • плебе́и (plebéi)The common people
Spanish plebe, populacho
  • plebeThe common people
  • populachoThe common people

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with plebs

ebbs
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

plebs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plebs

MLA

“plebs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plebs. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “plebs,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plebs.

Source: plebs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.