Downey is a unique community in the heart of Southern California that combines the best of both large and small. We are an active city of 110,000 with a small town atmosphere. This is a place of pride, history, involvement, and community.
The definition of a plebeian is a person in the lower class. An example of a plebeian is a member of the ancient Roman lower class. Plebeian is defined as relating to the common people or lacking in manners. An example of a plebeian act is licking food off of a plate. 1  a member of the ancient Roman lower class. 2  one of the common people.  a vulgar, coarse person.
Roman citizens were either patricians or plebs. Plebeian is an English derivative word of plebs. The patricians belonged to aristocratic families who traced their ancestry back to the founding upper class of the city. The plebs came from all other families, and were in the vast majority.