renown

1 of 2

noun

re·​nown ri-ˈnau̇n How to pronounce renown (audio)
1
: a state of being widely acclaimed and highly honored : fame
2
obsolete : report, rumor

renown

2 of 2

verb

renowned; renowning; renowns

transitive verb

: to give renown to

Examples of renown in a Sentence

Noun He achieved great renown for his discoveries. Her photographs have earned her international renown.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Such a tragic fall in academic standing, after years of hard-won, steady enhancement in renown. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2025 The milieu here is familiar from Compass: the professional, transnational elite, scholars of just-above-modest renown who are just about superannuated. Nicholas Dames, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025 Where to stay To immerse yourself in the history and design renown of the city, check into downtown’s Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, a 19th-century neo-Gothic former men’s club with its good old bones restored. Elaine Glusac, AFAR Media, 19 May 2025 On her path to film-industry renown, Diop was a fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Armond White, National Review, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for renown

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English renoun, from Anglo-French renum, renoun, from renomer to report, speak of, from re- + nomer to name, from Latin nominare, from nomin-, nomen name — more at name

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of renown was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Renown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/renown. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

renown

noun
re·​nown
ri-ˈnau̇n
: a state of being widely known and highly honored : fame

More from Merriam-Webster on renown

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