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vulgar

adj. · n.
US //ˈvəɫɡɝ// UK //vˈʌlɡɐ// vul·gar
  1. 1 rude or offensive (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    rude, offensive, or lacking good manners.

    lacking sophistication or good taste; making reference to subjects that are considered indecent or obscene.

    Example

    The comedian was criticized for making vulgar jokes about the audience.

    Example

    The film was dismissed by critics as a vulgar attempt to gain attention through shock value rather than clever writing.
  2. 2 common or ordinary (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Archaic Formal

    relating to ordinary people rather than the rich or highly educated.

    pertaining to the common people or the masses; often used in historical contexts to distinguish from the elite or the clergy.

    Example

    In the past, scholars wrote in Latin while the vulgar tongue was used by the public.

    Example

    The transition from Latin to vulgar dialects marked a significant shift in the accessibility of religious texts during the Reformation.
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  1. 3 math fractions (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical British English Math

    a common fraction written with one number above another.

    denoting a common fraction as opposed to a decimal fraction.

    Example

    The teacher asked the students to convert the vulgar fraction into a decimal.

    Example

    While decimals are preferred for most scientific calculations, vulgar fractions remain standard in certain traditional engineering measurements.
    • common fraction
  2. 4 the common people (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    ordinary people as a group, often used in an unkind way by those who think they are better.

    the common people or the masses, typically used with a derogatory or elitist connotation.

    Example

    The king had little interest in the opinions of the vulgar.

    Example

    The author’s disdain for the vulgar is evident in his descriptions of the city's crowded marketplaces.
Origin

From Middle English vulgare, from Latin vulgāris, from volgus, vulgus (“mob; common folk”), from Proto-Indo-European *wl̥k-. Compare Welsh gwala (“plenty, sufficiency”), Ancient Greek ἁλία (halía, “assembly”), εἰλέω (eiléō, “to compress”), Old Church Slavonic великъ (velikŭ, “great”).

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