Vulgarizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The action of applying overtly coarse language or behavior to something while simultaneously diminishing its respectability and refinement
2. Engaging in the practice of portraying something in a crude manner that strips away its dignity and sophistication
3. The act of rendering something crude or offensive in nature ; the process of lowering the elegance or dignity of something

Etymology: "Vulgar" came into English from Latin "vulgaris", meaning "of the common people," and the verb "vulgarize" was built on it by adding the suffix "-ize." That suffix has a long pedigree of its own: it passed from ancient Greek "-izein" into Late Latin "-izare," then through Middle French "-iser" into Middle English, where it settled as the familiar English "-ize." The result is a word whose core meaning, "to make common," is almost the reverse of how the word is often used now. The "-ing" ending turns the verb into a participle or gerund, describing the act itself rather than a finished state. So "vulgarizing" names the activity of making something coarse or less refined, whether that is a serious subject, a polished style, or a dignified occasion. The word thus carries two parts working together: the older sense of ordinariness and the later sense of lowering standards.