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Glite Dictionary
baseborn

baseborn

1 9.9
A person who is born into a low social class and not into a noble family
  • adjective
  • /ˈbeɪsˌbɔrn/
  • Offensive
translation icon : [Ofensivo, arcaico: de baja extracción]
  • He was treated poorly by others because he was baseborn, lacking the noble lineage they valued.

Examples

  • What matters his being baseborn?

    Tom Jones (1963)

  • Many people in the village looked down on her, viewing her as baseborn and unworthy of respect.

  • Despite being baseborn, she proved that talent and hard work outweigh social status.

Synonyms

humble
vsbaseborn
91 3.4

From a low social rank or simple background

emphasizes lack of noble birth rather than modest personal attitude
lowly
vsbaseborn
46 4.2

A person of low rank or importance, for example a servant

focuses on birth and origin rather than general social rank
lowborn
vsbaseborn
  • Archaic
1 7.4

A person from a family that is not rich or important

also includes being born outside lawful marriage as well as lacking noble origin
bastardly
vsbaseborn
  • Offensive
9.9

Born to parents who are not married to each other

applies to all people from unprivileged birth, not only illegitimate cases

Antonyms

noble
128 4.4

Being from a high social family by birth

aristocratic
19 7.2

Like people from rich, important families who have high social rank

How Noble

noble
128 4.4
baseborn
  • Offensive
1 9.9
common
  • Offensive
182 5.7

Surface Forms

baseborn positive

Morphology

baseborn = base + born (transparent) = base + born

Meaning is directly derived from the clear combination of 'base' (low) + 'born' (brought into life), indicating birth of low status.

Etymology

Baseborn comes from the parts base ('low' or 'bottom') and born ('born'), so it literally means 'born low'. That's why baseborn means someone of humble or low birth, not born into a noble family, and sometimes it was used for a person 'born outside marriage'.