vulgarize C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈvʌl.ɡəˌraɪz/ UK /ˈvʌl.ɡə.raɪz/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to make coarse, common, or less refined; to popularize crudely Critics complained that the remake had vulgarized a once-subtle drama. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to make coarse, common, or... coarsendebasecheapenpopularizedegradecommercialize ↔ Opposites refineelevateennobledignify Word family Forms vulgarised Derived forms vulgarizationvulgarizer Related forms vulgarvulgaritydivulge Etymology AI details From vulgar (from Latin vulgaris 'of the common people', from vulgus 'crowd') plus the verb-forming suffix -ize. vulgaris Latin vulgus Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # vulgarize **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈvʌl.ɡəˌraɪz/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈvʌl.ɡə.raɪz/ ## Meanings 1. to make coarse, common, or less refined; to popularize crudely ## Examples - Critics complained that the remake had vulgarized a once-subtle drama. ## Synonyms - coarsen - debase - cheapen - popularize - degrade - commercialize ## Antonyms - refine - elevate - ennoble - dignify ## Derived Forms - vulgarization - vulgarizer ## Related Forms - vulgar - vulgarity - divulge ## Roots and Affixes - Root: vulgaris - Root: vulgus ## Etymology From vulgar (from Latin vulgaris 'of the common people', from vulgus 'crowd') plus the verb-forming suffix -ize. ## AI Etymology Vulgarize comes from vulgar (from Latin vulgaris 'of the common people', from vulgus 'crowd') plus the verb-forming suffix -ize. In current use it is a verb meaning "to make coarse, common, or less refined; to popularize crudely". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Latin vulgaris and Latin vulgus. Related English forms include vulgar, vulgarity, and divulge. Derived forms include vulgarization and vulgarizer. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown