renowned

adjective

re·​nowned ri-ˈnau̇nd 

: widely acclaimed and highly honored : celebrated

Synonyms

• famous
• famed
• celebrated
• prominent
• notorious

Choose the Right Synonym for renowned

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

Examples of renowned in a Sentence

Poggio prospected for manuscripts across much of western Europe, visiting the renowned monasteries of Reichenau and Fulda, and wandering as far afield as Cologne, London, Paris, and Rome. —Fred Lerner, The Story of Libraries, 1998

He was renowned for his appetite—in the mid-60's, his daily breakfast consisted of six steaks, four plates of pasta and a dozen eggs … —Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 24 June 1993

… it was hard for me to realize that I was to be honoured by a degree from the oldest and most renowned university in America. —Booker T. Washington, Up From Slavery, 1901

a restaurant renowned for its wine list

the renowned painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci

Recent Examples on the Web

Lyles, however, is renowned for his strong finish, and hit back in the closing meters to take the victory in 19.63 seconds – the fastest time in the world this year and just 0.04 seconds ahead of Bednarek. —Coy Wire, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025

All the most renowned universities are teaching their students about crypto finance, blockchain tech or Web3 entrepreneurship. —Gracy Chen, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Today, Austin is renowned for its live music, famous residents, booming technology sector and numerous festivals that attract visitors from around the world to Travis County. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Loeb, who is renowned for encouraging astrophysicists to have an open mind about extraterrestrials, is the co-founder of the Galileo Project, a research program at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics dedicated to the scientific search for extraterrestrials. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 30 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

see renown entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing renowned

• world-renowned

Rhymes for renowned

• aboveground
• battleground
• belowground
• paperbound
• turnaround
• ultrasound
• underground
• wraparound
• abound
• aground
• around
• astound

Kids Definition

renowned

adjective

re·​nowned ri-ˈnau̇nd 

: having renown : celebrated