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
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.
Tennessee's business community has long enjoyed notoriety as an investor's paradise, particularly for tourism, entertainment and housing projects. Sandy Mazza, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Instead, the two lawyers achieved notoriety in 2023 when the judge in the case fined the pair $5,000 for citing six fictitious cases, invented by artificial intelligence software, in a brief to the court. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 26 June 2025 In a Rolling Stone cover story, the singer said that her critics are responsible for her music’s notoriety. Taylor Crumpton, Time, 20 June 2025 The prosecution in this case was the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and losing this case, according to attorneys, is an embarrassment for their prosecutorial team, especially given its widespread notoriety. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Notoriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notoriety. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

notoriety

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

More from Merriam-Webster on notoriety

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