notoriety
noun
no·to·ri·e·ty
ˌnō-tə-ˈrī-ə-tē 
plural notorieties
1
: the quality or state of being notorious
… the city's notoriety for corrupt and incompetent government.—
R. E. Merriam
R. E. Merriam2
: a notorious person
… the errors of notorieties and crowned heads …—James Joyce
James JoyceExamples of notoriety in a Sentence
He achieved instant fame and notoriety with the release of his film.
She gained notoriety when nude photographs of her appeared in a magazine.
His comment about the President has given him a notoriety that he enjoys very much.
Recent Examples on the Web
On June 9, Venus will join Jupiter in Cancer in your 10th house of notoriety, recognition and reward.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Ignatiev, who died in 2019, was a factory worker who entered academia late in life as a Marxist and gained minor notoriety with his 1995 book, How the Irish Became White.
—Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The case gained notoriety when police released body camera video showing the 6-year-old child, wrapped in a blanket with no detectable pulse.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
In particular, Wilson raised questions about how the notoriety of an ICE facility would impact Central Florida’s biggest industry.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for notoriety
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Ignatiev, who died in 2019, was a factory worker who entered academia late in life as a Marxist and gained minor notoriety with his 1995 book, How the Irish Became White.
—Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The case gained notoriety when police released body camera video showing the 6-year-old child, wrapped in a blanket with no detectable pulse.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
In particular, Wilson raised questions about how the notoriety of an ICE facility would impact Central Florida’s biggest industry.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for notoriety
Cite this Entry
“Notoriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notoriety. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
