notoriety

noun

no·​to·​ri·​e·​ty ˌnō-tə-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce notoriety (audio)
plural notorieties
Synonyms of notorietynext
1
: the quality or state of being notorious
… the city's notoriety for corrupt and incompetent government.R. E. Merriam
2
: a notorious person
… the errors of notorieties and crowned heads …James Joyce

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
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.
Viewers have long been fascinated by Paul, who earned notoriety on TikTok and formed a community on the social media platform called MomTok. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026 Those who showed up consistently built a reputation, even notoriety. Ryan Nickerson, Houston Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026 That’s getting a bit ahead of things, since Young has a long way to go in her American notoriety catching up with her already saturation-level appeal back home. Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026 Such a figure is an otherwise ordinary person who voluntarily gains notoriety or prominence on a particular issue and must prove actual malice. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for notoriety

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of notoriety was circa 1650

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Notoriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notoriety. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

notoriety

noun
no·​to·​ri·​ety
ˌnōt-ə-ˈrī-ət-ē
plural notorieties
: the quality or state of being notorious

More from Merriam-Webster on notoriety

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster