reputation

noun rep·u·ta·tion \ ˌre-pyə-ˈtā-shən \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of reputation

1 a : overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general

b : recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability

has the reputation of being clever

2 : a place in public esteem or regard : good name

trying to protect his reputation

—

reputational

play \ˌre-pyə-ˈtā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See reputation defined for English-language learners

See reputation defined for kids

Examples of reputation in a Sentence

He has earned a reputation as a first-class playwright.
a teacher with a reputation for patience
Poor customer service has ruined the company's reputation.

Recent Examples of reputation from the Web

During the last 100 years, The Wigwam has hosted recognized public figures and sports legends and maintains its reputation as one of the Southwest’s landmark resort destinations.

— meghann finn sepulveda, azcentral, "The Wigwam: An iconic Arizona landmark," 10 May 2018
SUBSCRIBE TODAY North Texas has already lost its reputation as a place where housing is dirt cheap, with home prices increasing 33 percent in the past three years.

— gordon dickson, star-telegram, "Property tax time bomb: How rising home values could torpedo your retirement plans | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 9 May 2018
Now, Swift was a snake, something she's reclaimed with her reputation branding.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Taylor Swift Bravely Reignites Her Kim Kardashian Feud," 9 May 2018
But name recognition and his reputation as a cop of Wall Street and corrupt politicians will probably give him an edge with voters.

— jen kirby, Vox, "New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned. What’s next?," 9 May 2018
Some of them opened public houses on the merits of their reputation; others took to the stage or the circus.

— Longreads, "The Roaring Girls of Queer London," 8 May 2018
Many China politics experts and some party insiders attribute Mr. Sun’s downfall to his reputation as a possible next-generation leader whose ties were to senior party figures other than Mr. Xi.

— josh chin, WSJ, "One-Time Potential Rival to China’s Xi Draws Life Sentence," 8 May 2018
In winning the Oaks, Cox padded his career earnings by $564,200, enhanced his reputation and showed that beneath that 5 o’clock shadow lurks a man with a knack for close shaves.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Rising star Brad Cox keeps Kentucky Oaks trophy at home in Louisville," 4 May 2018
For Pell, the charges are a threat to his freedom, his reputation and his career.

— Washington Post, "Australian cardinal faces 2 trials on sexual abuse charges," 3 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of reputation

Middle English reputacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin reputation-, reputatio consideration, from reputare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

reputation Synonyms

REPUTATION Defined for English Language Learners

reputation

noun

Definition of reputation for English Language Learners

: the common opinion that people have about someone or something : the way in which people think of someone or something

REPUTATION Defined for Kids

reputation

noun rep·u·ta·tion \ ˌre-pyə-ˈtā-shən \

Definition of reputation for Students

1 : overall quality or character as judged by people in general

The car has a good reputation.

2 : notice by other people of some quality or ability

… the house had a reputation for being haunted.
—Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

Word Root of reputation

The Latin word putāre, meaning “to think,” gives us the root put. Words from the Latin putāre have something to do with thinking. A reputation is what other people think about something or someone. To compute is to use math to think about a bunch of numbers together in order to answer a problem. To dispute is to argue because two or more people think different things.

Law Dictionary

reputation

noun rep·u·ta·tion

legal Definition of reputation

: overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general within a community — see also character evidence at evidence, reputation testimony at testimony