notorious

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adjective no·to·ri·ous \nō-ˈtȯr-ē-əs, nə-\

Definition of notorious

: generally known and talked of iron is a notorious conductor of heat — Lewis Mumford; especially : widely and unfavorably known a notorious gangster an area notorious for soot, smog, and dust — Pliotron

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See notorious defined for kids

notorious was our Word of the Day on 04/29/2012. Hear the podcast!

Examples of notorious in a Sentence

The coach is notorious for his violent outbursts.
a notorious mastermind of terrorist activities

Recent Examples of notorious from the Web

Today, Versace maintains its long-term relationship with hip-hop, from Notorious B.I.G.’s silk shirt in ‘

— marlena scott, Teen Vogue, "Gianni Versace's Murder, Explained", 6 July 2017
More specifically, the initiative’s target was the notorious chant that supposedly began in Guadalajara around 15 years ago and his since become a staple in Mexican stadiums and, increasingly, arenas throughout the Americas.

— brian straus, SI.com, "CONCACAF takes measures to eradicate anti-gay fan chant at Gold Cup–and beyond", 6 July 2017
In addition, Francis drew heated criticism for his 2015 appointment of a Chilean bishop accused by victims of helping cover up for Chile's most notorious pedophile.

— Bloomberg.com, "Australian Police Charge Top Vatican Cardinal With Historical Sex Offenses", 29 June 2017
Enter Phil Cole, a lively sort who at various times in life was a congressional aide to former U.S. Rep. Earl Wilson of Bedford, PR man for Nevada casino magnate Bill Harrah and notorious IndyCar bad boy Salt Walther and a writer of cookbooks.

— gregg doyel, The Courier-Journal, "Doyel: Can a dead man save the Madison Regatta?", 28 June 2017
The show is notorious for playing up and into fan theories, and on Tuesday's finale, fans found their snooping rewarded when not-Spencer showed up... with a British accent to boot.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Pretty Little Liars Fans CanNOT Get Over This Huge Reveal", 28 June 2017
In the new era, Huffington, allied with Kalanick, who owns about 10 percent of Uber’s stock, is arguably the most powerful person in Silicon Valley’s most notorious boys’ club.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "What’s Arianna’s Endgame at Uber?", 26 June 2017
In 59-degree water, in the shadow of a notorious federal prison that has been closed since 1963, Gregg Dedic is comfortable.

— stephen ruiz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Special Olympics swimmer from Orlando conquers Alcatraz", 26 June 2017
Shkreli became notorious after his Turing Pharmaceuticals LLC bought the life-saving HIV and AIDS drug Daraprim and raised its price to $750 from $13.50.

— patricia hurtado, Bloomberg.com, "Shkreli's Lawyer Says Ignore Tweet Boasting in Bail-Cut Bid", 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'notorious'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Notorious was adopted into English in the 16th century from Medieval Latin notorius, itself from Late Latin's noun notorium, meaning "information" or "indictment." "Notorium," in turn, derives from the Latin verb noscere, meaning "to come to know." Although "notorious" can be a synonym of "famous," meaning simply "widely known," it long ago developed the additional implication of someone or something unpleasant or undesirable. The Book of Common Prayer Offices of 1549 includes the first known use of the unfavorable meaning in print, referring to "notorious synners."

Origin and Etymology of notorious

Medieval Latin notorius, from Late Latin notorium information, indictment, from Latin noscere to come to know — more at know

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First Known Use: 15th century

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Synonym Discussion of notorious

famous, renowned, celebrated, noted, notorious, distinguished, eminent, illustrious mean known far and wide. famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known. a famous actress renowned implies more glory and acclamation. one of the most renowned figures in sports history celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print. the most celebrated beauty of her day noted suggests well-deserved public attention. the noted mystery writer notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil. a notorious gangster distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority. a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character. the country's most eminent writers illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person. illustrious war heroes

NOTORIOUS Defined for English Language Learners

notorious

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adjective

Definition of notorious for English Language Learners

: well-known or famous especially for something bad

NOTORIOUS Defined for Kids

notorious

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adjective no·to·ri·ous \nō-ˈtȯr-ē-əs\

Definition of notorious for Students

: widely known especially for some bad characteristic … he caught the villain, who turned out to be a very notorious criminal. — Robert McClosky, Homer Price