notorious

American  

[noh-tawr-ee-uhs, nuh-] / noʊˈtɔr i əs, nə- /

adjective

1. widely and unfavorably known.

   a notorious gambler.

   Synonyms:

   disreputable, flagrant, arrant, egregious, ill-famed, infamous

2. publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait.

   a newspaper that is notorious for its sensationalism.

   Synonyms:

   famous, conspicuous, prominent, celebrated, renowned, notable

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notorious British  

/ nəʊˈtɔːrɪəs, ˌnəʊtəˈraɪɪtɪ /

adjective

1. well-known for some bad or unfavourable quality, deed, etc; infamous

2. rare generally known or widely acknowledged

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Usage

What does notorious mean? Notorious most commonly means famous or well-known for a negative reason. The word is especially used to describe people who are widely known and viewed unfavorably for their actions, such as notorious criminals. It can also be applied to events, as in a notorious scandal. This sense of notorious is often used interchangeably with the word infamous. Strictly speaking, infamous means having, deserving, or resulting in a bad or evil reputation, while notorious usually implies that a person is both famous and disliked. Still, they usually mean just about the same thing. Notorious can also mean known for a particular trait or action, not necessarily a bad one. For example, you might be notorious for wearing the same outfit every Friday, or your aunt might be notorious for arriving late to family events. The state or quality of being notorious is notoriety. Example: The island prison known as Alcatraz was known for holding some of America’s most notorious criminals.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• notoriety
  noun
• notoriously
  adverb
• notoriousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of notorious

First recorded in 1540–50; from Medieval Latin nōtōrius “well known, public,” from Late Latin nōtōria “a notice, news, intelligence” and nōtōrium “indictment, (criminal) charge,” equivalent to nō(scere) “to get to know” + -tōrius adjective suffix; see notify, -tory ¹

Explanation

Use the adjective notorious to describe people, places, or things that are famous for a bad reason. A good synonym for notorious is infamous; both words mean "well-known, and not in a good way." A celebrity convicted of a series of crimes might be referred to as notorious, as might a book that has been banned in several countries. The word originally meant just "famous" and could carry either positive or negative connotations. Only in recent centuries did the negative uses start to outweigh the positive ones. In general, you'd rather be famous than notorious — unless you're looking to build a bad reputation.

Example Sentences

The notorious bidding war for a Palm Beach estate between Trump and Jeffrey Epstein involved a third party.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

Rasputin is in fact an ex-Green Beret from Buffalo, N.Y., named Patrick, but he had a religious awakening and now claims to be the reincarnated spirit of the notorious Russian mystic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Monaco has become notorious in recent years for soporific races in which the leader controls the pace from the front in an attempt to secure the victory knowing that overtaking is almost impossible.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Jukebox musicals are notorious for shoe-horning in beloved songs without regard for storytelling integrity.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

Based in New York, the Freiheit was even more notorious than the Arbeiter-Zeitung in its calls for revolution.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• blatant
• flagrant
• infamous
• prominent
• well-known