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

But the most useful commodity, Kapadia says, is local notoriety. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2024

Grayson, 35, earned notoriety on social media with her online business and lessons offering to teach others how to turn their skills into courses as well, per a press release about the case issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Tennessee. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024

For much of the last decade, being a fan of Charli XCX has involved a fair amount of pining for greater commercial notoriety. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024

For similar charms with less notoriety, try Puebla. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 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