notoriety

noun

no·​to·​ri·​e·​ty ˌnō-tə-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce notoriety (audio)
plural notorieties
Synonyms of notoriety
1
: the quality or state of being notorious
… the city's notoriety for corrupt and incompetent government.—R. E. Merriam
2
: a notorious person
… the errors of notorieties and crowned heads …—James Joyce

Synonyms of notoriety

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Examples of notoriety in a Sentence

He achieved instant fame and notoriety with the release of his film. She gained notoriety when nude photographs of her appeared in a magazine. His comment about the President has given him a notoriety that he enjoys very much.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
For all the notoriety of the rapper killings, neither has yet led to convictions. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The 2009 Saint Laurent–Pierre Bergé auction set a new level of prices and notoriety. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026 In a sport obsessed with scoring from the perimeter, her highlight reel, Williams’ claim to notoriety, lies almost entirely on her prowess as an elite defender, an impassable obstacle. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 But that notoriety has also gained it plenty of attention for all the wrong reasons. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for notoriety

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French notorieté, from Medieval Latin notorietat-, notorietas, from notorius

First Known Use

circa 1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of notoriety was circa 1650

Rhymes for notoriety

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Browse Nearby Words

Notorhynchus
notoriety
notorious
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Cite this Entry

“Notoriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notoriety. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

notoriety

noun
no·​to·​ri·​ety
ˌnōt-ə-ˈrī-ət-ē
plural notorieties
: the quality or state of being notorious
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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