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

2

: a notorious person

love to have notabilities and notorieties under one roof

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Synonyms

• cause célèbre
• cause celebre
• celeb
• celebrity
• figure
• icon
• ikon
• light
• luminary
• megastar
• name
• notability
• notable
• personage
• personality
• somebody
• standout
• star
• superstar
• VIP

Examples 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

Only in the later years of his career did Gelder find more mainstream notoriety, after featuring in 12 episodes of HBO’s phenomenally successful fantasy show Game of Thrones. —Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024

This is one aspect of her origin story that will likely be familiar to fans, who have over the years gleaned a sketchy timeline of her life, from difficult childhood to ’90s notoriety to a diagnosis of late-stage Lyme disease that sidelined her for years following Le Tigre’s dissolution in 2007. —TIME, 7 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French notorieté, from Medieval Latin notorietat-, notorietas, from notorius

First Known Use

circa 1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

notoriety

noun

no·​to·​ri·​ety

ˌnōt-ə-ˈrī-ət-ē

plural notorieties

: the quality or state of being notorious