notoriety

noun

no·​to·​ri·​e·​ty ˌnō-tə-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce notoriety (audio)
plural notorieties
Synonyms of notoriety
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.
Penned by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, Chicago follows killers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two murderesses who use their criminal notoriety to find fame in the Vaudeville circuit. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 Back in the early 90s a group of young filmmakers make a movie whose notoriety among horror buffs, thirty years later, is undiminished by the fact that only three scenes (and a screenplay) were ever released. Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 According to the complaint, Ikner asked the chatbot questions about notoriety, firearms and campus activity patterns. Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 1 June 2026 Art world figure Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, who gained notoriety with pithy, irreverent gossip and commentary delivered under the pseudonym Jerry Gogosian, was found deceased in a São Paulo hotel room on May 31. News Desk, Artforum, 1 June 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 6 Jun. 2026.

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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