reputation

noun

rep·​u·​ta·​tion ˌre-pyə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce reputation (audio)
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 adjective

Did you know?

For reputation, the attainment of lexical esteem begins in 14th-century Middle English in the character of reputacion, which is a borrowing of an Anglo-French word with meanings similar to the English word (referring to such things as celebrity, distinction, good name, or estimation of character). The Anglo-French is from Latin reputation-, reputatio, meaning "consideration," and ultimately from reputare, "to reckon up or to think over." That Latinate verb couples the well-known "again" prefix re- with the verb putare ("to reckon"). Renowned celebrities of the putare family are the verb repute ("to believe or consider"), the identical noun (synonymous with reputation), the adjectives reputable and reputed, and the adverb reputedly. Other putare cousins of notoriety are disputedisreputableimputation, and putative, along with their kin.

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 on the Web McCarthy said the allegations were part of a campaign to damage Gobin’s reputation that grew out of a business dispute. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Few could have predicted back then that Reddit would eventually clean up its act, shed its reputation for toxicity and go public, as it is expected to on Thursday at a $6.4 billion valuation. Kevin Roose, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Kejriwal has a reputation as one of the staunchest critics of the Indian prime minister and the ruling BJP. Sania Farooqui, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 This sort of dorky openness puts everyone around her at ease, earning her a reputation for being humble and approachable despite her status as one of Latin America’s most in-demand Gen-Z stars and singer-songwriters. Charis McGowan, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Schnur worked on four Republican presidential and three gubernatorial campaigns, earning a reputation as one of California’s leading political strategists. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Now, Jackson deleted a video celebrating the bill and is desperately trying to salvage his online reputation. Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 Some environmental groups have complained that climate certification for beef and related carbon credits result in greenwashing, allowing companies and the industry to burnish their reputations while continuing to release emissions. Paul Winters, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 Red’s professional digital cameras have a long reputation in cinematography circles for pushing the boundaries of what camera sensors and optics can do. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024

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

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near reputation

Cite this Entry

“Reputation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reputation. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reputation

noun
rep·​u·​ta·​tion ˌrep-yə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce reputation (audio)
1
: overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general
a car with a good reputation
2
: notice by other people of some quality or ability
has the reputation of being a good tennis player
3
: a place in public regard : good name
trying to protect his reputation

Legal Definition

reputation

noun
rep·​u·​ta·​tion
: 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

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