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
Noun
Prigozhin attracted global renown when his St. Petersburg, Russia, troll factory intervened in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and helped stir up right-wing populism in Europe. Paul Sonne, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023 For its organic and distinct designs, the compound has amassed global renown — in addition to receiving a San Diego County historic designation in 2008. Cameron Fozi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2023 Decades earlier, the diplomat George Kennan had won lasting renown (and lifelong self-torture) with his writings at the Cold War’s outset that outlined the nature of the Soviet threat to the United States and prescribed a vague strategy to counter it. Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023 An author of her renown should be able to command $15,000 to $20,000 or so for a speaking engagement, before agent fees, taxes and any discounts or freebies for nonprofit clients. Ron Lieber, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023 Here’s a novelist of no small renown—Barack Obama has endorsed Robinson’s book—who envisions an effective sabotage campaign by cells that operate in large numbers, coordinate on a global scale, and act with fanatical devotion and a code of absolute secrecy. Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023 Ghanaian Roberta Annan is a global-impact investor of high renown; the founder of a fund supporting Africa’s creative sector that is targeting €100 million; and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme. Essence, 3 Oct. 2023 In early 2021, the demands of Harris’s still fairly young renown finally called him back to New York. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023 For all of its modern renown, the Jackson Hole conference, set for Thursday night to Saturday, has not always been the talk of the town in Washington and New York. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2023
Verb
The Modern’s attention to his work helped set Mr. Botero on a path to renown. Stephen Kinzer, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023 The old man in the piazza is experiencing something utterly alien to him: renown. Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020 Hixson started out as a florist, and became world-renown as a designer, teaching classes across the country and in Europe and Japan. cleveland, 31 Dec. 2022 By hook or by crook, certainly by force of personality and not a wealth of resources, each one clawed his way to renown, carrying with him the language and character and history of the neighborhood. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2022 Green, 32, is renown for his volatile nature on the court. Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, 7 Oct. 2022 But here’s a refresher: Massimo Osti founded the company in 1971, gaining renown by infusing military-style construction into everyday wear. Barry Samaha, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2022 The collective included a handful of hardware, software and wireless tinkerers who won renown for issuing public warnings about security flaws in programs. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022 Historically, the village was renown for its iris production whose scent was prized at the court of Catherine de’ Medici. Cathy Huyghe, Forbes, 22 June 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'renown.' 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

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

Dictionary Entries Near renown

Cite this Entry

“Renown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/renown. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

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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