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
The David Hockney–esque Julian was a star of the ’60s and ’70s but has spent the past three decades in prolonged retreat, living off his notoriety and persona as an art curmudgeon — first as a judge on a reality-competition show and, more recently, on Cameo.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
One of the first initiatives under Khosla was a 10-year strategic plan for expansion and more notoriety.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
As her notoriety grew through the Hulu reality series, she was cast as the central figure on an upcoming season of The Bachelorette, positioning her as the latest crossover from unscripted TV notoriety to mainstream dating franchise fame.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Michael Lincoln-McCreight, who gained notoriety for yelling the N-word at a Black 7-Eleven employee in a video that went viral on Tik-Tok, is in trouble again.
—Norine Dworkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for notoriety
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Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
One of the first initiatives under Khosla was a 10-year strategic plan for expansion and more notoriety.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
As her notoriety grew through the Hulu reality series, she was cast as the central figure on an upcoming season of The Bachelorette, positioning her as the latest crossover from unscripted TV notoriety to mainstream dating franchise fame.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Michael Lincoln-McCreight, who gained notoriety for yelling the N-word at a Black 7-Eleven employee in a video that went viral on Tik-Tok, is in trouble again.
—Norine Dworkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 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 16 Apr. 2026.
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