vul·gar / ˈvəlgər/ • adj. lacking sophistication or good taste; unrefined: the vulgar trappings of wealth. ∎  making explicit and offensive reference to sex or bodily functions; coarse and rude: a vulgar joke. ∎ dated characteristic of or belonging to the masses. DERIVATIVES: vul·gar·i·ty / ˌvəlˈgaritē/ n. (pl. -ties) vul·gar·ly adv.

VULGAR. A nontechnical term that has moved from a neutral and general to a pejorative meaning. Formerly, it referred to ordinary life and ordinary people, as opposed to an upper-class or educated minority. Vulgar Latin was the everyday Latin of the Roman Empire and, until the 19c, European VERNACULAR languages were referred to as vulgar tongues. Concomitantly, a sense of coarseness and lack of breeding and culture developed, associated with the ‘lowest orders’ of society, and now dominates, particularly with reference to language: a vulgar remark. See PARTRIDGE, RECEIVED STANDARD AND MODIFIED STANDARD, SWEARING.

vulgar •dogger, flogger, Hoggar, hogger, jogger, logger, slogger, Wagga Wagga •brolga, Olga, Volga •conga, conger, donga, Rarotonga •pettifogger • footslogger •cataloguer (US cataloger) •auger, augur •ogre, Saratoga, toga, yoga •beluga, cougar, Kaluga, Kruger, Luger •sugar, Zeebrugge •bugger, hugger, lugger, mugger, plugger, rugger, slugger, Srinagar, tugger •mulga, vulgar •hunger, sangha, Younger •scandalmonger • scaremonger •fishmonger •warmonger, whoremonger •ironmonger • hugger-mugger •costermonger • Málaga •Berger, burger, burgher •hamburger • beefburger •cheeseburger • Limburger •Vegeburger • Erzgebirge •Luxembourger

vulgar Latin informal Latin of classical times; vulgar in this sense means ‘in ordinary use, used by the people’, and comes ultimately from vulgus ‘common people’.