famous

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adjective fa·mous \ ˈfā-məs \

Definition of famous

1 a :widely known

a restaurant famous for its French cuisine

b :honored for achievement

a famous explorer

2 :excellent, first-rate

famous weather for a walk

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famousness

noun

See famous defined for English-language learners

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Examples of famous in a Sentence

a book about some of the most famous people of the last century
some truly famous Southern-style cooking

Recent Examples of famous from the Web

As Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg’s patron saint and most famous native son, observed some 200 years ago, the city reveres its traditions and is fiercely resistant to whatever may challenge those traditions.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "At Salzburg Festival, operatic winds of change blow," 29 Aug. 2017
Couples empathizes keenly with golf’s most famous back patient, his good friend Tiger Woods, contrasting his own functional recovery with Woods’ frequent setbacks.

— larry stone, The Seattle Times, "Healthy and back in Seattle, Fred Couples enjoying strong Champions Tour season," 24 Aug. 2017
Famous restaurant a true local wouldn't be caught dead in: Tour d'Argent.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to B.S. Your Way to a Seven-Figure Book Deal," 23 Aug. 2017
Remember the famous shot of Hoffman through Anne Bancroft’s bent leg?

— mick lasalle, kansascity, "You know the leg scene in ‘The Graduate’? This documentary celebrates its creator," 23 Aug. 2017
In a third-floor conference room here overlooking the famous Potsdamer Platz, once bisected by the Berlin Wall, the future of academic publishing is being negotiated.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "A bold open-access push in Germany could change the future of academic publishing," 23 Aug. 2017
Perhaps next year the butter artist might try their hand at another famous Canadian icon?

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "There's Nothing Butter Than This Sculpture of Justin Trudeau," 22 Aug. 2017
For the majority of baseball fans, his most famous moment came in a Yankee uniform.

— c. trent rosecrans, Cincinnati.com, "BAR: Reggie Sanders deserves Reds Hall of Fame nod," 22 Aug. 2017
The Polka Dot Wall The Most Famous Artist, AKA Matty Mo, has made many marks on L.A.’s walls (remember those hot pink houses?) but this dotty spot in the DTLA Arts District remains one of his most popular — and most Instagrammed.

— chloe lew, Los Angeles Magazine, "Where to Find L.A.’s Most Instagrammed Walls IRL," 17 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'famous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of famous

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin famosus, from fama fame

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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famous Synonyms

Synonyms

big-name, celebrated, famed, noted, notorious, prominent, renowned, star, visible, well-known

Antonyms

anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unfamous, unknown, unsung

Near Antonyms

insignificant, unimportant; inconspicuous; undistinguished, unexceptional; unpopular

Synonym Discussion of famous

famous, renowned, celebrated, noted, notorious, distinguished, eminent, illustrious mean known far and wide. famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.