commoner
/ˈkɒmənə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈɑmənɚ] /ˈkɑːmənər/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈɑmənɚ] /ˈkä-mə-nər/ (ame, mw)
commoner — noun
- commonersingular
- commonersplural
1. In a society where people are divided by social rank, a person who has no noble
In a society where people are divided by social rank, a person who has no noble title and does not belong to the royal family.
Princess Diana was a commoner before she married Prince Charles in 1981.
contrasts with a royal title
In feudal Japan, a commoner could not become a samurai warrior.
historical context of social hierarchy
The duke surprised everyone by choosing to marry a commoner rather than a noblewoman.
Under the new law, commoners were finally allowed to own land.
Hyun's great-grandfather was a commoner who worked as a village blacksmith.
- plebeian
formal and often historical; most associated with ancient Rome, but used in a broader historical sense
- ordinary person
neutral and much broader; does not specifically contrast with nobility
- non-noble
descriptive rather than a fixed noun; used in historical or legal writing
- noble
a person who belongs to the nobility by birth or title
- aristocrat
a member of the highest social class, often implying inherited wealth and land
- peer
specifically a member of the British nobility who holds a title such as duke, earl, or baron
用法筆記
The word is most commonly used in the context of societies that have (or once had) a formal nobility, such as the United Kingdom and historical European or Asian monarchies.