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Glite Dictionary
to vulgarise

to vulgarise

7.2
To make a difficult idea simple so more people can understand it
  • verb
  • /ˈvʌlɡəˌraɪz/
  • UK
translation icon : vulgarizar
  • The teacher decided to vulgarise the complex scientific concepts so her students could easily understand them.

All of all of those religious ideas are now translated and vulgarized into the real world.

Examples

  • The documentary aims to vulgarise difficult historical events, making them more relatable to everyday viewers.

  • To reach a wider audience, the author chose to vulgarise the profound philosophical theories in simpler terms.

  • All of all of those religious ideas are now translated and vulgarized into the real world.

    Triggernometry

  • I only use coin vulgarised with the monarch's head for transactions with servants.

    The Libertine (2004)

Synonyms

to popularize
vsto vulgarise
  • US
21 4.2

To make an idea, activity, or subject known and liked by many people

is about simplifying for public understanding rather than making it widespread
to dumb down
vsto vulgarise
  • Informal
15 5.3

Make something simpler and less detailed so more people understand it

is less extreme and keeps more original complexity
to generalize
vsto vulgarise
  • US
5 4.6

To change something so many people can understand and use it

is focused on simplifying content for public understanding rather than adapting to tastes
to vulgarize
vsto vulgarise
  • US
1 8.4

To make something simpler and less refined to appeal to many people

is simpler to aid understanding without lowering quality or refinement

Antonyms

to complicate
101 4.1

To make something harder to understand or do

to sophisticate
1 7.5

To make someone more experienced and less naive

How Simple

to dumb down
  • Informal
15 5.3
to popularize
  • US
21 4.2
to vulgarise
  • UK
7.2
to simplify
99 2.5
to clarify
248 3.3

Surface Forms

vulgarise infinitive
vulgarize infinitive
vulgarised past
vulgarized past
vulgarised past participle
vulgarized past participle
vulgarising present participle
vulgarizing present participle
vulgarises third person singular
vulgarizes third person singular

Morphology

vulgarise = vulgar (semi-transparent) = vulgar + ise

Formed by adding a verb-forming suffix to 'vulgar'; the basic idea of 'making common' is clear but the nuance (making crude vs making accessible/popular) may confuse learners.

Etymology

The word vulgarise comes from the old Latin word vulgus, which means 'the common people', and it shares the same root as the English word vulgar. So to vulgarise an idea is to make it easier or more popular for ordinary people to understand, often by removing complex or very formal details.