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

… the errors of notorieties and crowned heads …

—James Joyce

Synonyms of notoriety

• celebrity
• star
• personality

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

Is the path to doing so by staying in Minnesota, where the notoriety isn’t exactly oozing and future success isn’t guaranteed thanks to the Vikings murky quarterback situation? —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026

Some are driven by a desire to achieve notoriety within online communities through violence or self harm, while others target and exploit vulnerable individuals. —Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026

While the show gained him notoriety, Habeeb, 67, has more recently focused on a different sort of reality TV — a show focused on animal rescue. —Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026

His lawyers also noted that Liddy and his family suffered as a result of his father’s notoriety. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for notoriety

• contrariety
• impropriety
• inebriety
• antianxiety
• intersociety
• anxiety
• impiety
• propriety
• satiety
• sobriety
• society
• variety

Kids Definition

notoriety

noun

no·​to·​ri·​ety

ˌnōt-ə-ˈrī-ət-ē

plural notorieties

: the quality or state of being notorious