vulgarize

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

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.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make coarse, common, or... coarsendebase cheapen popularize degrade commercialize

Opposites

refine elevate ennoble dignify

Word family

Forms vulgarised

Derived forms vulgarizationvulgarizer

Related forms vulgar vulgarity divulge

Etymology

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

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# 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
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown