1
a
: lacking in cultivation, perception, or taste : coarse
b
: morally crude, undeveloped, or unregenerate : gross
c
: ostentatious or excessive in expenditure or display : pretentious
2
a
: offensive in language : earthy
b
: lewdly or profanely indecent
3
a
: generally used, applied, or accepted
b
: understood in or having the ordinary sense
they reject the vulgar conception of miracle—
W. R. Inge
W. R. Inge4
: vernacular
the vulgar name of a plant
vulgarly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of vulgar in a Sentence
He was a vulgar man.
She had a coarse, vulgar laugh.
I will not tolerate such vulgar language in my home.
Recent Examples on the Web
And part of the problem is McCarthy, whose vulgar, uncouth character doesn’t have that many dimensions.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Still at Eton and too young to fight in World War I, Orwell penned vulgar poems suffused with the jingoism for which his elite school was famous.
—Peter Stansky, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023
Out of this kinetic fusion came an art form that’s been called every name in the book—from vulgar and godless, by the Catholic Church, exploitative, by progressive intellectuals, to vibrant and authentic, by its fans.
—Sofia Perez, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2023
Then some text messages said to be from Vargas anonymously surfaced with vulgar and denigrating language about Black women.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for vulgar 
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Still at Eton and too young to fight in World War I, Orwell penned vulgar poems suffused with the jingoism for which his elite school was famous.
—Peter Stansky, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023
Out of this kinetic fusion came an art form that’s been called every name in the book—from vulgar and godless, by the Catholic Church, exploitative, by progressive intellectuals, to vibrant and authentic, by its fans.
—Sofia Perez, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2023
Then some text messages said to be from Vargas anonymously surfaced with vulgar and denigrating language about Black women.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for vulgar
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vulgar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vulgar
Cite this Entry
“Vulgar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulgar. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vulgar
adjective
vul·gar
ˈvəl-gər 
1
: generally used, applied, or accepted
2
: of or relating to common speech : vernacular entry 1
the vulgar name of a plant
3
: of or relating to the common people
the vulgar opinion of the time
4
a
: lacking in good manners or taste : coarse
a loud vulgar belch
b
: morally crude
c
: tastelessly showy : pretentious
5
: offensive in language : obscene
a vulgar joke
vulgarly
adverb
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