What does plebeianizing mean?
Plebeianizing means making something characteristic of the common people, particularly by rendering it coarse, vulgar, or less refined. The word is often critical: a critic may accuse a television adaptation, political campaign, or mass-market version of an artistic work of plebeianizing it by replacing complexity and subtlety with familiar entertainment. It can sometimes be used more neutrally to describe making an institution or form of language accessible to a broad audience, but the negative sense is more prominent. The related adjective plebeian originally referred to the citizenry of an ancient Roman republic and later came to mean ordinary or common, often with the connotation of cultural vulgarity. As a present participle, plebeianizing shows an action in progress and is especially common in formal commentary and criticism.
verb (present participle)The present participle of plebeianize, meaning to make something plebeian or characteristic of ordinary people, especially by making it seem coarse, vulgar, or lacking refinement.
- To make something plebeian, especially by rendering it coarse, vulgar, or supposedly lacking refinement.
"The editor resisted the temptation to plebeianize the report, insisting that its technical language remained clear without being inaccessible."
"The editor resisted the temptation to plebeianize the report, insisting that its technical language remained clear without being inaccessible."
"Critics accused the adaptation of plebeianizing Shakespeare by stripping away its poetic complexity."
From the Latin plebs, meaning “the common people,” plebeianizing suggests reducing something to common tastes or standards.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of plebeianizing
Plebeianizing is the present participle of plebeianize, formed from plebeian and the verbal suffix -ize. Plebeian entered English through French from Latin plebeianus, derived from plebs, “the common people” or “citizenry.” The English adjective originally concerned social rank before acquiring its modern associations with coarseness and lack of refinement.
Related word forms
How plebeianizing is actually used
This is a formal, often critical word. It can suggest either making something accessible to ordinary people or, more commonly and negatively, lowering its standards or aesthetic complexity.