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Synonyms

plebe

American  
[pleeb] / plib /

noun

  1. Also (at the U.S. Military and Naval academies) a member of the freshman class.

  2. Obsolete. plebeian.

plebe British  
/ pliːb /

noun

  1. informal a member of the lowest class at the US Naval Academy or Military Academy; freshman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of plebe

First recorded in 1605–15; short for plebeian

Vocabulary lists containing plebe

Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 6

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“He was a very sharp plebe, a very intelligent young man,” said retired Navy officer Gregory Glaros, the company commander often quizzing Cooper at the academy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

“He wanted to present himself as among ‘the best and the brightest,’ not some common plebe who’d held workaday jobs,” Garrow said of Obama’s first run for the presidency.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2024

Naval Academy are taking part in the annual Herndon Monument Climb on Wednesday, a ritual that marks the end of their plebe year and some say foreshadows career success.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024

There was even a contest to see how fast a plebe can patch a leaky pipe — an important skill for those likely to be spending much of their career at sea.

From Washington Times • May 18, 2022

He was new to the job at Valley Forge, we were his first plebe class, and I was his first major challenge.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.