notoriety

noun

no·​to·​ri·​e·​ty ˌnō-tə-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce notoriety (audio)
plural notorieties
1
: the quality or state of being notorious
the city's notoriety for corrupt and incompetent governmentR. E. Merriam
2
: a notorious person
love to have notabilities and notorieties under one roofThe Times Literary Supplement (London)

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 Ruby Franke, a YouTuber who gained online notoriety with her tough and often controversial parenting advice, has been formally charged with six counts of felony child abuse in Washington County, Utah. Deborah Kim, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2023 The state of San Francisco The West Coast city’s newfound notoriety may form one of the themes of the conference, with Mayor of San Francisco London Breed set to speak during Dreamforce. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2023 And any potential whiff of notoriety that might be attached to dispatches sent under her own name? Richard Byrne, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2023 Coffee used the notoriety to help promote her Cakes by Coffee cake decorating instruction business. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Aug. 2023 The case gained additional notoriety when, the same day a federal indictment was announced against the defendants, D.C. police discovered five fetuses in a Capitol Hill rowhouse basement where Handy had been staying. Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023 Because notoriety is the coin of the realm in Republican politics at the moment, the episode may not hurt Ramaswamy, indeed may even help him by garnering him more attention. The Editors, National Review, 23 Aug. 2023 Something about the men tipped the police off—a hunch, perhaps, that the burglary had been the work of a gang of young thieves who were coming into some notoriety. Jesse Hyde, Town & Country, 16 Aug. 2023 The news coverage brought Boyer newfound notoriety, attracting both paranormal investigators fascinated by the case and skeptics determined to debunk the phenomenon. Allie Weintraub, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'notoriety.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near notoriety

Cite this Entry

“Notoriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notoriety. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

notoriety

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

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