notoriety

noun

ˌnō-tə-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce notoriety (audio)
Definition of notorietynext
1
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about a television show featuring a rogues' gallery of notorieties from 20 years of overhyped scandals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fame
the fact or state of being known to the public a lawyer of notoriety for the huge awards he's won in medical malpractice cases

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of notoriety The case marks the latest legal challenge for Peters, whose internet notoriety crossed into the mainstream after previous brushes with the law. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 The family rose to prominence when Alan, Wayne, Merill and Jay gained some notoriety, first as a barbershop quartet in the ‘70s, before Donny joined and the group became a quintet. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026 New Stanford wants to reel in viewers with the notoriety of the original study and the promise that hot buttons will be pushed. — Judy Berman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Leach gained national notoriety as a contestant and judge on the Food Network. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for notoriety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notoriety
  1. celebrity
  2. fame
  3. star
  4. renown
  5. personality
  6. reputation
Noun
  • The Los Angeles city attorney’s office is suing an animal rescue organization that was once a favorite among Hollywood celebrities, alleging that its owner purchased dogs from puppy mills and portrayed them to adopters as animals that were rescued.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Above Average is billed as an irreverent look at celebrity culture, corporate power and society’s obsession with being exceptional.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of celebrity
Noun
  • Having survived World War II as a child and later found global fame as an actress, Audrey was attracted to Switzerland for the peace and privacy the country offered.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Collin, one of the sextuplets who rose to fame alongside his parents and siblings, said children should not have to clearly articulate their distress before the adults around them recognize something is wrong.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fame
Noun
  • Stokes finished with a personal 2026 postseason-best 13 points to go with eight rebounds, three blocks and suffocating defense on Dream star Angel Reese, who was held to seven points on 2-for-8 shooting.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The former Cowboys star motioned to the drivers of the vehicles to tell them to slow down, and that’s when the dispute began.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of star
Noun
  • Despite that, Evelyn, Geraldine and Mildred Gay never achieved the same renown as peers like Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward.
    — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Related Articles Botstein led Bard College from 1975 and was known as a deft fundraiser who helped earn the small institution global renown.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of renown
Noun
  • Behind the scenes, Chicago historian and media personality Studs Terkel played an integral role, acting as a guide for Mitchell.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Behind the scenes, Muse uses a collection of digital notes and instructions to guide its personality, actions and memory, all of which can be reviewed, edited and deleted.
    — Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of personality
Noun
  • Amid complaints of too many tourists and bad behavior, which have led to clashes between residents and visitors, Shibuya’s local government has been trying to change the district’s fashionable reputation.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Cubs’ reputation as lovable losers was well-earned after 37 years without a National League pennant and 74 years removed from their last World Series title.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of reputation

Browse Nearby Words

notorieties
notoriety
notorious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Notoriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notoriety. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All